Journal of the House - 102nd Day - Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A quorum was present.

The Chief Clerk proceeded to read the Journal of the preceding day. Marquart moved that further reading of the Journal be dispensed with and that the Journal be approved as corrected by the Chief Clerk. The motion prevailed.

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REPORTS OF CHIEF CLERK

S. F. No. 1659 and H. F. No. 1537, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Mullery moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 1659 be substituted for H. F. No. 1537 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 1770 and H. F. No. 2062, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Lanning moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 1770 be substituted for H. F. No. 2062 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 2430 and H. F. No. 2699, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Hilstrom moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 2430 be substituted for H. F. No. 2699 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 2634 and H. F. No. 2610, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Mullery moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 2634 be substituted for H. F. No. 2610 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 2725 and H. F. No. 2965, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Paymar moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 2725 be substituted for H. F. No. 2965 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

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S. F. No. 2839 and H. F. No. 2942, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Atkins moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 2839 be substituted for H. F. No. 2942 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 3043 and H. F. No. 3122, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Juhnke moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 3043 be substituted for H. F. No. 3122 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 3318 and H. F. No. 3682, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Kalin moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 3318 be substituted for H. F. No. 3682 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

S. F. No. 3361 and H. F. No. 3786, which had been referred to the Chief Clerk for comparison, were examined and found to be identical with certain exceptions.

SUSPENSION OF RULES

Jackson moved that the rules be so far suspended that S. F. No. 3361 be substituted for H. F. No. 3786 and that the House File be indefinitely postponed. The motion prevailed.

REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES AND DIVISIONS

Solberg from the Committee on Ways and Means to which was referred:

H. F. No. 2227, A bill for an act relating to local government; establishing Minnesota Innovation and Research Council; imposing powers and duties of council; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 3.971, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 465; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 6.80.

Reported the same back with the recommendation that the bill pass.

The report was adopted.

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Carlson from the Committee on Finance to which was referred:

H. F. No. 2922, A bill for an act relating to retirement; Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund; transfer of administrative functions to the Public Employees Retirement Association; creation of MERF consolidation account within the Public Employees Retirement Association; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 11A.23, subdivision 4; 13D.01, subdivision 1; 43A.17, subdivision 9; 43A.316, subdivision 8; 69.021, subdivision 10; 126C.41, subdivision 3; 256D.21; 353.01, subdivision 2b, by adding subdivisions; 353.03, subdivision 1; 353.05; 353.27, as amended; 353.34, subdivisions 1, 6; 353.37, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 353.46, subdivisions 2, 6; 353.64, subdivision 7; 353.71, subdivision 4; 353.86, subdivisions 1, 2; 353.87, subdivisions 1, 2; 353.88; 354.71; 354A.011, subdivision 27; 354A.39; 355.095, subdivision 1; 356.214, subdivision 1; 356.215, subdivision 8; 356.30, subdivision 3; 356.302, subdivisions 1, 7; 356.303, subdivision 4; 356.407, subdivision 2; 356.431, subdivision 1; 356.465, subdivision 3; 356.64; 356.65, subdivision 2; 356.91; 422A.101, subdivision 3; 422A.26; 473.511, subdivision 3; 473.606, subdivision 5; 475.52, subdivision 6; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, sections 6.67; 69.011, subdivision 1; 69.031, subdivision 5; 352.01, subdivision 2b; 353.01, subdivision 2a; 353.06; 356.20, subdivision 2; 356.215, subdivision 11; 356.32, subdivision 2; 356.401, subdivision 3; 356.415, subdivision 2; 356.96, subdivision 1; 480.181, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 353; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 13.63, subdivision 1; 69.011, subdivision 2a; 356.43; 422A.01, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13a, 17, 18; 422A.02; 422A.03; 422A.04; 422A.05, subdivisions 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 5, 6, 8; 422A.06, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7; 422A.08, subdivision 1; 422A.09; 422A.10; 422A.101, subdivisions 1, 1a, 2, 2a; 422A.11; 422A.12; 422A.13; 422A.14, subdivision 1; 422A.15; 422A.151; 422A.155; 422A.156; 422A.16, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 422A.17; 422A.18, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7; 422A.19; 422A.20; 422A.21; 422A.22, subdivisions 1, 3, 4, 6; 422A.23, subdivisions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 422A.231; 422A.24; 422A.25; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, sections 422A.06, subdivision 8; 422A.08, subdivision 5.

Reported the same back with the following amendments:

Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:

"ARTICLE 1

ADMINISTRATIVE CONSOLIDATION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT

FUND INTO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION

Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 353.01, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:

Subd. 2a. Included employees. (a) Public employees whose salary from employment in one or more positions within one governmental subdivision exceeds $425 in any month shall participate as members of the association. If the salary is less than $425 in a subsequent month, the employee retains membership eligibility. Eligible public employees shall participate as members of the association with retirement coverage by the ~~public~~ general employees retirement plan or under this chapter, the public employees police and fire retirement plan under this chapter, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan under chapter 353E, whichever applies, as a condition of their employment on the first day of employment unless they:

(1) are specifically excluded under subdivision 2b;

(2) do not exercise their option to elect retirement coverage in the association as provided in subdivision 2d, paragraph (a); or

(3) are employees of the governmental subdivisions listed in subdivision 2d, paragraph (b), where the governmental subdivision has not elected to participate as a governmental subdivision covered by the association.

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(b) A public employee who was a member of the association on June 30, 2002, based on employment that qualified for membership coverage by the public employees retirement plan or the public employees police and fire plan under this chapter, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan under chapter 353E as of June 30, 2002, retains that membership for the duration of the person's employment in that position or incumbency in elected office. Except as provided in subdivision 28, the person shall participate as a member until the employee or elected official terminates public employment under subdivision 11a or terminates membership under subdivision 11b.

(1) physicians under section 353D.01, subdivision 2, who do not elect public employees defined contribution plan coverage under section 353D.02, subdivision 2;

(2) full-time employees of the Dakota County Agricultural Society; and

(3) employees of the Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association or Minneapolis Police Relief Association who are not excluded employees under subdivision 2b due to coverage by the relief association pension plan and who elect Public Employee Retirement Association general plan coverage under Laws 2009, chapter 169, article 12, section 10.

(d) For the purpose of participation in the MERF division of the general employees retirement plan, public employees include employees who were members of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 29, 2010, and who participate as members of the MERF division of the association.

Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.01, subdivision 2b, is amended to read:

Subd. 2b. Excluded employees. The following public employees are not eligible to participate as members of the association with retirement coverage by the ~~public~~ general employees retirement plan, the local government correctional employees retirement plan under chapter 353E, or the public employees police and fire retirement plan:

(1) public officers, other than county sheriffs, who are elected to a governing body, or persons who are appointed to fill a vacancy in an elective office of a governing body, whose term of office commences on or after July 1, 2002, for the service to be rendered in that elective position;

(2) election officers or election judges;

(3) patient and inmate personnel who perform services for a governmental subdivision;

(4) except as otherwise specified in subdivision 12a, employees who are hired for a temporary position as defined under subdivision 12a, and employees who resign from a nontemporary position and accept a temporary position within 30 days in the same governmental subdivision;

(5) employees who are employed by reason of work emergency caused by fire, flood, storm, or similar disaster;

(6) employees who by virtue of their employment in one governmental subdivision are required by law to be a member of and to contribute to any of the plans or funds administered by the Minnesota State Retirement System, the Teachers Retirement Association, the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, ~~the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund,~~ or any police or firefighters relief association governed by section 69.77 that has not consolidated with the Public Employees Retirement Association, or any local police or firefighters consolidation account who have not elected the type of benefit coverage provided by the public employees police and fire fund under sections 353A.01 to 353A.10, or any persons covered by section

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353.665, subdivision 4, 5, or 6, who have not elected public employees police and fire plan benefit coverage. This clause must not be construed to prevent a person from being a member of and contributing to the Public Employees Retirement Association and also belonging to and contributing to another public pension plan or fund for other service occurring during the same period of time. A person who meets the definition of "public employee" in subdivision 2 by virtue of other service occurring during the same period of time becomes a member of the association unless contributions are made to another public retirement fund on the salary based on the other service or to the Teachers Retirement Association by a teacher as defined in section 354.05, subdivision 2;

(7) persons who are members of a religious order and are excluded from coverage under the federal Old Age, Survivors, Disability, and Health Insurance Program for the performance of service as specified in United States Code, title 42, section 410(a)(8)(A), as amended through January 1, 1987, if no irrevocable election of coverage has been made under section 3121(r) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended;

(8) employees of a governmental subdivision who have not reached the age of 23 and are enrolled on a full-time basis to attend or are attending classes on a full-time basis at an accredited school, college, or university in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional-technical program, or a public or charter high school;

(9) resident physicians, medical interns, and pharmacist residents and pharmacist interns who are serving in a degree or residency program in public hospitals or clinics;

(10) students who are serving in an internship or residency program sponsored by an accredited educational institution;

(11) persons who hold a part-time adult supplementary technical college license who render part-time teaching service in a technical college;

(12) except for employees of Hennepin County or Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc., foreign citizens working for a governmental subdivision with a work permit of less than three years, or an H-1b visa valid for less than three years of employment. Upon notice to the association that the work permit or visa extends beyond the three-year period, the foreign citizens must be reported for membership from the date of the extension;

(13) public hospital employees who elected not to participate as members of the association before 1972 and who did not elect to participate from July 1, 1988, to October 1, 1988;

(14) except as provided in section 353.86, volunteer ambulance service personnel, as defined in subdivision 35, but persons who serve as volunteer ambulance service personnel may still qualify as public employees under subdivision 2 and may be members of the Public Employees Retirement Association and participants in the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund, whichever applies, on the basis of compensation received from public employment service other than service as volunteer ambulance service personnel;

(15) except as provided in section 353.87, volunteer firefighters, as defined in subdivision 36, engaging in activities undertaken as part of volunteer firefighter duties; provided that a person who is a volunteer firefighter may still qualify as a public employee under subdivision 2 and may be a member of the Public Employees Retirement Association and a participant in the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund, whichever applies, on the basis of compensation received from public employment activities other than those as a volunteer firefighter;

(16) pipefitters and associated trades personnel employed by Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, with coverage under a collective bargaining agreement by the pipefitters local 455 pension plan who were either first employed after May 1, 1997, or, if first employed before May 2, 1997, elected to be excluded under Laws 1997, chapter 241, article 2, section 12;

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(17) electrical workers, plumbers, carpenters, and associated trades personnel employed by Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, or the city of St. Paul, who have retirement coverage under a collective bargaining agreement by the Electrical Workers Local 110 pension plan, the United Association Plumbers Local 34 pension plan, or the Carpenters Local 87 pension plan who were either first employed after May 1, 2000, or, if first employed before May 2, 2000, elected to be excluded under Laws 2000, chapter 461, article 7, section 5;

(18) bricklayers, allied craftworkers, cement masons, glaziers, glassworkers, painters, allied tradesworkers, and plasterers employed by the city of St. Paul or Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, with coverage under a collective bargaining agreement by the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 pension plan, the Cement Masons Local 633 pension plan, the Glaziers and Glassworkers Local L-1324 pension plan, the Painters and Allied Trades Local 61 pension plan, or the Twin Cities Plasterers Local 265 pension plan who were either first employed after May 1, 2001, or if first employed before May 2, 2001, elected to be excluded under Laws 2001, First Special Session chapter 10, article 10, section 6;

(19) plumbers employed by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, with coverage under a collective bargaining agreement by the Plumbers Local 34 pension plan, who either were first employed after May 1, 2001, or if first employed before May 2, 2001, elected to be excluded under Laws 2001, First Special Session chapter 10, article 10, section 6;

(20) employees who are hired after June 30, 2002, to fill seasonal positions under subdivision 12b which are limited in duration by the employer to 185 consecutive calendar days or less in each year of employment with the governmental subdivision;

(21) persons who are provided supported employment or work-study positions by a governmental subdivision and who participate in an employment or industries program maintained for the benefit of these persons where the governmental subdivision limits the position's duration to three years or less, including persons participating in a federal or state subsidized on-the-job training, work experience, senior citizen, youth, or unemployment relief program where the training or work experience is not provided as a part of, or for, future permanent public employment;

(22) independent contractors and the employees of independent contractors; and

(23) reemployed annuitants of the association during the course of that reemployment.

Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

Subd. 47. MERF division. "MERF division" means the separate retirement plan within the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association containing the applicable provisions of Minnesota Statutes 2008, chapter 422A.

Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

Subd. 48. MERF division account. "MERF division account" means the separate account within the retirement fund of the general employees retirement fund of the Public Employees Retirement Association in which the actuarial liabilities of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund are held, and in which the assets of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund are credited.

Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.05, is amended to read:

353.05 CUSTODIAN OF FUNDS.

The commissioner of management and budget shall be ex officio treasurer of the retirement funds of the association, including the MERF division, and the general bond of the commissioner of management and budget to the state ~~shall~~ must be so conditioned as to cover all liability for acts as treasurer of these funds. All ~~moneys~~ money

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of the association received by the commissioner of management and budget ~~shall~~ must be set aside in the state treasury to the credit of the proper fund or account. The commissioner of management and budget shall transmit monthly to the executive director a detailed statement of all amounts so received and credited to the ~~fund~~ funds, including the MERF division. Payments out of the ~~fund shall~~ funds, including the MERF division, may only be made ~~only~~ on warrants issued by the commissioner of management and budget, upon abstracts signed by the executive director; provided that abstracts for investment may be signed by the ~~secretary~~ executive director of the State Board of Investment.

Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 353.06, is amended to read:

353.06 STATE BOARD OF INVESTMENT TO INVEST FUNDS.

The executive director shall from time to time certify to the State Board of Investment for investment such portions of the ~~retirement fund~~ funds of the association, including the MERF division, as in ~~its~~ the director's judgment may not be required for immediate use. The State Board of Investment shall thereupon invest and reinvest the sum so certified, or transferred, in such securities as are duly authorized as legal investments ~~for state employees retirement fund~~ under section 11A.24 and ~~shall have~~ has authority to sell, convey, and exchange such securities and invest and reinvest the securities when it deems it desirable to do so and shall sell securities upon request of the ~~board of trustees~~ executive director when such funds are needed for its purposes. All of the provisions regarding accounting procedures and restrictions and conditions for the purchase and sale of securities under chapter 11A must apply to the accounting, purchase and sale of securities for the funds of the Public Employees Retirement ~~fund~~ Association, including the MERF division.

Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.27, as amended by Laws 2009, chapter 169, article 1, section 32, and article 4, sections 9, 10, 11, and 12, is amended to read:

353.27 ~~PUBLIC~~ GENERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND.

Subdivision 1. Income; disbursements. There is a special fund known as the "~~public~~ general employees retirement fund," the "retirement fund," or the "fund," which must include all the assets of the general employees retirement plan of the association. This fund must be credited with all contributions, all interest and all other income of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association that are authorized by law. From this fund there is appropriated the payments authorized by ~~this chapter~~ sections 353.01 to 353.46 in the amounts and at such time provided herein, including the expenses of administering the general employees retirement plan and fund.

Subd. 1a. MERF division account established; revenue and disbursements. The MERF division account is established as a special account. The MERF division account includes all of the assets of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund that were transferred to the administration of the Public Employees Retirement Association under section 353.50. The special account is credited with the contributions under section 353.50, subdivision 7, state aid under sections 356.43 and 422A.101, subdivision 3, investment performance on the special account assets, and all other income of the MERF division authorized by law. The payments of annuities and benefits authorized by Minnesota Statutes 2008, chapter 422A, in the amounts and at the times provided in that chapter, and the administrative expenses of the MERF division are appropriated from the special account.

Subd. 2. General employees retirement plan; employee contribution. (a) For a basic member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the employee contribution is 9.10 percent of salary. For a coordinated member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the employee contribution is six percent of salary plus any contribution rate adjustment under subdivision 3b.

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(b) These contributions must be made by deduction from salary as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 10, in the manner provided in subdivision 4. If any portion of a member's salary is paid from other than public funds, the member's employee contribution must be based on the total salary received by the member from all sources.

Subd. 3. General employees retirement plan; employer contribution. (a) For a basic member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the employer contribution is 9.10 percent of salary. For a coordinated member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the employer contribution is six percent of salary plus any contribution rate adjustment under subdivision 3b.

(b) This contribution must be made from funds available to the employing subdivision by the means and in the manner provided in section 353.28.

Subd. 3a. Additional employer contribution. (a) An additional employer contribution to the general employees retirement fund of the Public Employees Retirement Association must be made equal to the following applicable percentage of the total salary amount for "basic members" and for "coordinated members":

Basic Program Coordinated Program

Effective before January 1, 2006 2.68 .43

Effective January 1, 2006 2.68 .50

Effective January 1, 2009 2.68 .75

Effective January 1, 2010 2.68 1.00

These contributions must be made from funds available to the employing subdivision by the means and in the manner provided in section 353.28.

(b) The coordinated program contribution rates set forth in paragraph (a) effective for ~~January 1, 2009, or~~ January 1, 2010, must not be implemented if, following receipt of the ~~July 1, 2008, or~~ July 1, 2009, annual actuarial valuation ~~reports~~ report under section 356.215, respectively, the actuarially required contributions are equal to or less than the total rates under this section in effect as of January 1, 2008.

(c) This subdivision is repealed once the actuarial value of the assets of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association equal or exceed the actuarial accrued liability of the plan as determined by the actuary retained under sections 356.214 and 356.215. The repeal is effective on the first day of the first full pay period occurring after March 31 of the calendar year following the issuance of the actuarial valuation upon which the repeal is based.

Subd. 3b. Change in employee and employer contributions in certain instances. (a) For purposes of this section, a contribution sufficiency exists if the total of the employee contribution under subdivision 2, the employer contribution under subdivision 3, the additional employer contribution under subdivision 3a, and any additional contribution previously imposed under this subdivision exceeds the total of the normal cost, the administrative expenses, and the amortization contribution of the general employees retirement plan as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation of the retirement plan prepared by the actuary retained under section 356.214 and prepared under section 356.215 and the standards for actuarial work of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. For purposes of this section, a contribution deficiency exists if the total of the employee contributions under subdivision 2, the employer contributions under subdivision 3, the additional employer contribution under subdivision 3a, and any additional contribution previously imposed under this subdivision is less than the total of the normal cost, the administrative expenses, and the amortization contribution of the general employees retirement plan as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation of the retirement plan prepared by the actuary retained under section 356.214 and prepared under section 356.215 and the standards for actuarial work of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

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(b) Employee and employer contributions to the general employees retirement plan under subdivisions 2 and 3 must be adjusted:

(1) if, after July 1, 2010, the regular actuarial valuations of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association under section 356.215 indicate that there is a contribution sufficiency under paragraph (a) equal to or greater than 0.5 percent of covered payroll for two consecutive years, the coordinated program employee and employer contribution rates must be decreased as determined under paragraph (c) to a level such that the sufficiency equals no more than 0.25 percent of covered payroll based on the most recent actuarial valuation; or

(2) if, after July 1, 2010, the regular actuarial valuations of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association under section 356.215 indicate that there is a deficiency equal to or greater than 0.5 percent of covered payroll for two consecutive years, the coordinated program employee and employer contribution rates must be increased as determined under paragraph (c) to a level such that no deficiency exists based on the most recent actuarial valuation.

(c) The general employees retirement plan contribution rate increase or decrease must be determined by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association, must be reported to the chair and the executive director of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement on or before the next February 1, and, if the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement does not recommend against the rate change or does not recommend a modification in the rate change, is effective on the next July 1 following the determination by the executive director that a contribution deficiency or sufficiency has existed for two consecutive fiscal years based on the most recent actuarial valuations under section 356.215. If the actuarially required contribution of the general employees retirement plan exceeds or is less than the total support provided by the combined employee and employer contribution rates by more than 0.5 percent of covered payroll, the general employees retirement plan coordinated program employee and employer contribution rates must be adjusted incrementally over one or more years to a level such that there remains a contribution sufficiency of no more than 0.25 percent of covered payroll.

(d) No incremental adjustment may exceed 0.25 percent for either the general employees retirement plan coordinated program employee and employer contribution rates per year in which any adjustment is implemented. A general employees retirement plan contribution rate adjustment under this subdivision must not be made until at least two years have passed since fully implementing a previous adjustment under this subdivision.

(e) The general employees retirement plan contribution sufficiency or deficiency determination under paragraphs (a) to (d) must be made without the inclusion of the contributions to, the funded condition of, or the actuarial funding requirements of the MERF division.

Subd. 4. Employer reporting requirements; contributions; member status. (a) A representative authorized by the head of each department shall deduct employee contributions from the salary of each employee who qualifies for membership in the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association or in the public employees police and fire retirement plan under this chapter and remit payment in a manner prescribed by the executive director for the aggregate amount of the employee contributions, the employer contributions and the additional employer contributions to be received within 14 calendar days. The head of each department or the person's designee shall for each pay period submit to the association a salary deduction report in the format prescribed by the executive director. Data required to be submitted as part of salary deduction reporting must include, but are not limited to:

(1) the legal names and Social Security numbers of employees who are members;

(2) the amount of each employee's salary deduction;

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(3) the amount of salary from which each deduction was made;

(4) the beginning and ending dates of the payroll period covered and the date of actual payment; and

(5) adjustments or corrections covering past pay periods.

(b) Employers must furnish the data required for enrollment for each new employee who qualifies for membership in the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association or in the public employees police and fire retirement plan in the format prescribed by the executive director. The required enrollment data on new employees must be submitted to the association prior to or concurrent with the submission of the initial employee salary deduction. The employer shall also report to the association all member employment status changes, such as leaves of absence, terminations, and death, and shall report the effective dates of those changes, on an ongoing basis for the payroll cycle in which they occur. The employer shall furnish data, forms, and reports as may be required by the executive director for proper administration of the retirement system. Before implementing new or different computerized reporting requirements, the executive director shall give appropriate advance notice to governmental subdivisions to allow time for system modifications.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the ~~association~~ executive director may provide for less frequent reporting and payments for small employers.

Subd. 7. Adjustment for erroneous receipts or disbursements. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), erroneous employee deductions and erroneous employer contributions and additional employer contributions to the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association or to the public employees police and fire retirement plan for a person, who otherwise does not qualify for membership under this chapter, are considered:

(1) valid if the initial erroneous deduction began before January 1, 1990. Upon determination of the error by the association, the person may continue membership in the association while employed in the same position for which erroneous deductions were taken, or file a written election to terminate membership and apply for a refund upon termination of public service or defer an annuity under section 353.34; or

(2) invalid, if the initial erroneous employee deduction began on or after January 1, 1990. Upon determination of the error, the association shall refund all erroneous employee deductions and all erroneous employer contributions as specified in paragraph (e). No person may claim a right to continued or past membership in the association based on erroneous deductions which began on or after January 1, 1990.

(b) Erroneous deductions taken from the salary of a person who did not qualify for membership in the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association or in the public employees police and fire retirement plan by virtue of concurrent employment before July 1, 1978, which required contributions to another retirement fund or relief association established for the benefit of officers and employees of a governmental subdivision, are invalid. Upon discovery of the error, the association shall remove all invalid service and, upon termination of public service, the association shall refund all erroneous employee deductions to the person, with interest as determined under section 353.34, subdivision 2, and all erroneous employer contributions without interest to the employer. This paragraph has both retroactive and prospective application.

(c) Adjustments to correct employer contributions and employee deductions taken in error from amounts which are not salary under section 353.01, subdivision 10, must be made as specified in paragraph (e). The period of adjustment must be limited to the fiscal year in which the error is discovered by the association and the immediate two preceding fiscal years.

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(d) If there is evidence of fraud or other misconduct on the part of the employee or the employer, the board of trustees may authorize adjustments to the account of a member or former member to correct erroneous employee deductions and employer contributions on invalid salary and the recovery of any overpayments for a period longer than provided for under paragraph (c).

(e) Upon discovery of the receipt of erroneous employee deductions and employer contributions under paragraph (a), clause (2), or paragraph (c), the association must require the employer to discontinue the erroneous employee deductions and erroneous employer contributions reported on behalf of a member. Upon discontinuation, the association must:

(1) for a member, provide a refund or credit to the employer in the amount of the invalid employee deductions with interest on the invalid employee deductions at the rate specified under section 353.34, subdivision 2, from the received date of each invalid salary transaction through the date the credit or refund is made; and the employer must pay the refunded employee deductions plus interest to the member;

(2) for a former member who:

(i) is not receiving a retirement annuity or benefit, return the erroneous employee deductions to the former member through a refund with interest at the rate specified under section 353.34, subdivision 2, from the received date of each invalid salary transaction through the date the credit or refund is made; or

(ii) is receiving a retirement annuity or disability benefit, or a person who is receiving an optional annuity or survivor benefit, for whom it has been determined an overpayment must be recovered, adjust the payment amount and recover the overpayments as provided under this section; and

(3) return the invalid employer contributions reported on behalf of a member or former member to the employer by providing a credit against future contributions payable by the employer.

(f) In the event that a salary warrant or check from which a deduction for the retirement fund was taken has been canceled or the amount of the warrant or check returned to the funds of the department making the payment, a refund of the sum deducted, or any portion of it that is required to adjust the deductions, must be made to the department or institution.

(g) If the accrual date of any retirement annuity, survivor benefit, or disability benefit is within the limitation period specified in paragraph (c), and an overpayment has resulted by using invalid service or salary, or due to any erroneous calculation procedure, the association must recalculate the annuity or benefit payable and recover any overpayment as provided under subdivision 7b.

(h) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, the association may apply the Revenue Procedures defined in the federal Internal Revenue Service Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System and not issue a refund of erroneous employee deductions and employer contributions or not recover a small overpayment of benefits if the cost to correct the error would exceed the amount of the member refund or overpayment.

(i) Any fees or penalties assessed by the federal Internal Revenue Service for any failure by an employer to follow the statutory requirements for reporting eligible members and salary must be paid by the employer.

Subd. 7a. Deductions or contributions transmitted by error. (a) If employee deductions and employer contributions under this section, section 353.50, 353.65, or 353E.03 were erroneously transmitted to the association, but should have been transmitted to another Minnesota public pension plan, the executive director shall transfer the erroneous employee deductions and employer contributions to the appropriate retirement fund or individual account, as applicable, without interest. The time limitations specified in subdivisions 7 and 12 do not apply.

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(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a Minnesota public pension plan means a plan specified in section 356.30, subdivision 3, or the plans governed by chapters 353D and 354B.

(c) A potential transfer under paragraph (a) that is reasonably determined to cause the plan to fail to be a qualified plan under section 401(a) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as amended, must not be made by the executive director of the association. Within 30 days after being notified by the Public Employees Retirement Association of an unmade potential transfer under this paragraph, the employer of the affected person must transmit an amount representing the applicable salary deductions and employer contributions, without interest, to the retirement fund of the appropriate Minnesota public pension plan, or to the applicable individual account if the proper coverage is by a defined contribution plan. The association must provide the employing unit a credit for the amount of the erroneous salary deductions and employer contributions against future contributions from the employer. If the employing unit receives a credit under this paragraph, the employing unit is responsible for refunding to the applicable employee any amount that had been erroneously deducted from the person's salary.

Subd. 7b. Recovery of overpayments. (a) In the event the executive director determines that an overpaid annuity or benefit ~~that~~ from the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan is the result of invalid salary included in the average salary used to calculate the payment amount must be recovered, the association must determine the amount of the employee deductions taken in error on the invalid salary, with interest determined in the manner provided for a former member under subdivision 7, paragraph (e), clause (2), item (i), and must subtract that amount from the total annuity or benefit overpayment, and the remaining balance of the overpaid annuity or benefit, if any, must be recovered.

(b) If the invalid employee deductions plus interest exceed the amount of the overpaid benefits, the balance must be refunded to the person to whom the benefit or annuity is being paid.

(c) Any invalid employer contributions reported on the invalid salary must be credited to the employer as provided in subdivision 7, paragraph (e).

(d) If a member or former member, who is receiving a retirement annuity or disability benefit for which an overpayment is being recovered, dies before recovery of the overpayment is completed and a joint and survivor optional annuity is payable, the remaining balance of the overpaid annuity or benefit must continue to be recovered from the payment to the optional annuity beneficiary.

(e) If the association finds that a refund has been overpaid to a former member, beneficiary or other person, the amount of the overpayment must be recovered for the benefit of the respective retirement fund or account.

(f) The board of trustees shall adopt policies directing the period of time and manner for the collection of any overpaid retirement or optional annuity, and survivor or disability benefit, or a refund that the executive director determines must be recovered as provided under this section.

Subd. 7c. Limitation on additional plan coverage. No deductions for any plan under this chapter or chapter 353E may be taken from the salary of a person who is employed by a governmental subdivision under section 353.01, subdivision 6, and who is receiving disability benefit payments from any plan under this chapter or chapter 353E unless the person waives the right to further disability benefit payments.

Subd. 8. District court reporters; salary deductions. Deductions from the salary of a district court reporter in a judicial district consisting of two or more counties ~~shall~~ must be made by the auditor of the county in which the bond and official oath of such district court reporter are filed, from the portion of salary paid by such county.

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Subd. 9. Fee officers; contributions; obligations of employers. Any appointed or elected officer of a governmental subdivision who was or is a "public employee" within the meaning of section 353.01 and was or is a member of the ~~fund~~ general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association and whose salary was or is paid in whole or in part from revenue derived by fees and assessments, shall pay employee contribution in the amount, at the time, and in the manner provided in subdivisions 2 and 4. This subdivision ~~shall~~ does not apply to district court reporters. The employer contribution as provided in subdivision 3, and the additional employer contribution as provided in subdivision 3a, with respect to such service ~~shall~~ must be paid by the governmental subdivision. This subdivision ~~shall have~~ has both retroactive and prospective application as to all such members; and every employing governmental subdivision is deemed liable, retroactively and prospectively, for all employer and additional employer contributions for every such member of the general employees retirement plan in its employ. Delinquencies under this section ~~shall be~~ are governed in all respects by section 353.28.

Subd. 10. Employer exclusion reports. The head of a department shall annually furnish the executive director with an exclusion report listing only those employees in potentially PERA general employees retirement plan-eligible positions who were not reported as members of the ~~association~~ general employees retirement plan and who worked during the school year for school employees and calendar year for nonschool employees. The department head must certify the accuracy and completeness of the exclusion report to the association. The executive director shall prescribe the manner and forms, including standardized exclusion codes, to be used by a governmental subdivision in preparing and filing exclusion reports. The executive director shall also check the exclusion report to ascertain whether any omissions have been made by a department head in the reporting of new public employees for membership. The executive director may delegate an association employee under section 353.03, subdivision 3a, paragraph (b), clause (5), to conduct a field audit to review the payroll records of a governmental subdivision.

Subd. 11. Employers; required to furnish requested information. (a) All governmental subdivisions shall furnish promptly such other information relative to the employment status of all employees or former employees, including, but not limited to, payroll abstracts pertaining to all past and present employees, as may be requested by the executive director, including schedules of salaries applicable to various categories of employment.

(b) In the event payroll abstract records have been lost or destroyed, for whatever reason or in whatever manner, so that such schedules of salaries cannot be furnished therefrom, the employing governmental subdivision, in lieu thereof, shall furnish to the association an estimate of the earnings of any employee or former employee for any period as may be requested by the executive director. If the association is provided a schedule of estimated earnings, the executive director is authorized to use the same as a basis for making whatever computations might be necessary for determining obligations of the employee and employer to the general employees retirement ~~fund~~ plan, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan. If estimates are not furnished by the employer at the request of the executive director, the executive director may estimate the obligations of the employee and employer to the general employees retirement fund, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan based upon those records that are in its possession.

Subd. 12. Omitted salary deductions; obligations. (a) In the case of omission of required deductions for the general employees retirement plan, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan from the salary of an employee, the department head or designee shall immediately, upon discovery, report the employee for membership and deduct the employee deductions under subdivision 4 during the current pay period or during the pay period immediately following the discovery of the omission. Payment for the omitted obligations may only be made in accordance with reporting procedures and methods established by the executive director.

(b) When the entire omission period of an employee does not exceed 60 days, the governmental subdivision may report and submit payment of the omitted employee deductions and the omitted employer contributions through the reporting processes under subdivision 4.

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(c) When the omission period of an employee exceeds 60 days, the governmental subdivision shall furnish to the association sufficient data and documentation upon which the obligation for omitted employee and employer contributions can be calculated. The omitted employee deductions must be deducted from the employee's subsequent salary payment or payments and remitted to the association for deposit in the applicable retirement fund. The employee shall pay omitted employee deductions due for the 60 days prior to the end of the last pay period in the omission period during which salary was earned. The employer shall pay any remaining omitted employee deductions and any omitted employer contributions, plus cumulative interest at an annual rate of 8.5 percent compounded annually, from the date or dates each omitted employee contribution was first payable.

(d) An employer shall not hold an employee liable for omitted employee deductions beyond the pay period dates under paragraph (c), nor attempt to recover from the employee those employee deductions paid by the employer on behalf of the employee. Omitted deductions due under paragraph (c) which are not paid by the employee constitute a liability of the employer that failed to deduct the omitted deductions from the employee's salary. The employer shall make payment with interest at an annual rate of 8.5 percent compounded annually. Omitted employee deductions are no longer due if an employee terminates public service before making payment of omitted employee deductions to the association, but the employer remains liable to pay omitted employer contributions plus interest at an annual rate of 8.5 percent compounded annually from the date the contributions were first payable.

(e) The association may not commence action for the recovery of omitted employee deductions and employer contributions after the expiration of three calendar years after the calendar year in which the contributions and deductions were omitted. Except as provided under paragraph (b), no payment may be made or accepted unless the association has already commenced action for recovery of omitted deductions. An action for recovery commences on the date of the mailing of any written correspondence from the association requesting information from the governmental subdivision upon which to determine whether or not omitted deductions occurred.

Subd. 12a. Terminated employees: omitted deductions. A terminated employee who was a member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan and who has a period of employment in which previously omitted employer contributions were made under subdivision 12 but for whom no, or only partial, omitted employee contributions have been made, or a member who had prior coverage in the association for which previously omitted employer contributions were made under subdivision 12 but who terminated service before required omitted employee deductions could be withheld from salary, may pay the omitted employee deductions for the period on which omitted employer contributions were previously paid plus interest at an annual rate of 8.5 percent compounded annually. A terminated employee may pay the omitted employee deductions plus interest within six months of an initial notification from the association of eligibility to pay those omitted deductions. If a terminated employee is reemployed in a position covered under a public pension fund under section 356.30, subdivision 3, and elects to pay omitted employee deductions, payment must be made no later than six months after a subsequent termination of public service.

Subd. 12b. Terminated employees: immediate eligibility. If deductions were omitted from salary adjustments or final salary of a terminated employee who was a member of the general employees retirement plan, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan and who is immediately eligible to draw a monthly benefit, the employer shall pay the omitted employer and employer additional contributions plus interest on both the employer and employee amounts due at an annual rate of 8.5 percent compounded annually. The employee shall pay the employee deductions within six months of an initial notification from the association of eligibility to pay omitted deductions or the employee forfeits the right to make the payment.

Subd. 13. Certain warrants canceled. A warrant payable from the general employees retirement fund, the public employees police and fire retirement fund, or the local government correctional retirement fund remaining unpaid for a period of six months must be canceled into the applicable retirement fund and not canceled into the state's general fund.

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Subd. 14. Periods before initial coverage date. (a) If an entity is determined to be a governmental subdivision due to receipt of a written notice of eligibility from the association with respect to the general employees retirement plan, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional retirement plan, that employer and its employees are subject to the requirements of subdivision 12, effective retroactively to the date that the executive director of the association determines that the entity first met the definition of a governmental subdivision, if that date predates the notice of eligibility.

(b) If the retroactive time period under paragraph (a) exceeds three years, an employee is authorized to purchase service credit in the applicable Public Employees Retirement Association plan for the portion of the period in excess of three years, by making payment under section 356.551. Notwithstanding any provision of section 356.551, subdivision 2, to the contrary, regarding time limits on purchases, payment of a service credit purchase amount may be made anytime before the termination of public service.

(c) This subdivision does not apply if the applicable employment under paragraph (a) included coverage by any public or private defined benefit or defined contribution retirement plan, other than a volunteer firefighters relief association. If this paragraph applies, an individual is prohibited from purchasing service credit from a Public Employees Retirement Association plan for any period or periods specified in paragraph (a).

Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.34, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Refund or deferred annuity. (a) A former member is entitled to a refund of accumulated employee deductions under subdivision 2, or to a deferred annuity under subdivision 3. Application for a refund may not be made before the date of termination of public service. Except as specified in paragraph (b), a refund must be paid within 120 days following receipt of the application unless the applicant has again become a public employee required to be covered by the association.

(b) If an individual was placed on layoff under section 353.01, subdivision 12 or 12c, a refund is not payable before termination of service under section 353.01, subdivision 11a.

(c) An individual who terminates public service covered by the Public Employees Retirement Association general employees retirement plan, the MERF division, the Public Employees Retirement Association police and fire retirement plan, or the public employees local government corrections service retirement plan, and who is employed by a different employer and who becomes an active member covered by one of the other two plans, may receive a refund of employee contributions plus six percent interest compounded annually from the plan from which the member terminated service.

Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.34, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6. Additions to fund. The board of trustees may credit to the general employees retirement fund any ~~moneys~~ money received in the form of contributions, donations, gifts, appropriations, bequests, or otherwise.

Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.37, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Salary maximums. (a) The annuity of a person otherwise eligible for an annuity ~~under this chapter~~ from the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan must be suspended under subdivision 2 or reduced under subdivision 3, whichever results in the higher annual annuity amount, if the person reenters public service as a nonelective employee of a governmental subdivision in a position covered by this chapter or returns to work as an employee of a labor organization that represents public employees who are association members under this chapter and salary for the reemployment service exceeds the annual maximum earnings allowable for that age for the continued receipt of full benefit amounts monthly under the federal

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Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program as set by the secretary of health and human services under United States Code, title 42, section 403, in any calendar year. If the person has not yet reached the minimum age for the receipt of Social Security benefits, the maximum salary for the person is equal to the annual maximum earnings allowable for the minimum age for the receipt of Social Security benefits.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) do not apply to the members of the MERF division.

Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.37, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Suspension of annuity. (a) The association shall suspend the annuity on the first of the month after the month in which the salary of the reemployed annuitant described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), exceeds the maximums set in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), based only on those months in which the annuitant is actually employed in nonelective public service in a position covered under this chapter or employment with a labor organization that represents public employees who are ~~association~~ members of a retirement plan under this chapter or chapter 353E.

(b) An annuitant who is elected to public office after retirement may hold that office and receive an annuity otherwise payable from a retirement plan administered by the association.

Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.37, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Reduction of annuity. (a) The association shall reduce the amount of the annuity of a person who has not reached the retirement age by one-half of the amount in excess of the applicable reemployment income maximum under subdivision 1, paragraph (a).

(b) There is no reduction upon reemployment, regardless of income, for a person who has reached the retirement age.

Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.37, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4. Resumption of annuity. The association shall resume paying a full annuity to the reemployed annuitant described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), at the start of each calendar year until the salary exceeds the maximums under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), or on the first of the month following the termination of the employment which resulted in the suspension of the annuity. The executive director may adopt policies regarding the suspension and reduction of annuities under this section.

Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.37, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5. Effect on annuity. Except as provided under this section, public service performed by an annuitant described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), subsequent to retirement ~~under this chapter~~ from the general employees retirement plan, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan does not increase or decrease the amount of an annuity. The annuitant shall not make any further contributions to ~~the association's~~ a defined benefit plan administered by the association by reason of this subsequent public service.

Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.46, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Rights of deferred annuitant. The ~~right~~ entitlement of a deferred annuitant or other former member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund division, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, or the local government correctional employees retirement plan to receive an annuity under the law in effect at the time ~~such~~ the person

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terminated public service is herein preserved~~; provided, however,~~. The provisions of section 353.71, subdivision 2, as amended by Laws 1973, chapter 753 ~~shall~~, apply to a deferred annuitant or other former member who first begins receiving an annuity after July 1, 1973.

Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.46, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6. Computation of benefits for certain coordinated members. Any coordinated member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association who ~~prior to~~, before July 1, 1979, was a member of the former coordinated program of the former Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund and who ~~prior to~~, before July 1, 1978, was a member of the basic program of the Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund ~~shall:~~

~~(1) be~~ is entitled to receive a retirement annuity when otherwise qualified, the calculation of which ~~shall~~ must utilize the formula accrual rates specified in section 422A.15, subdivision 1, for that portion of credited service which was rendered ~~prior to~~ before July 1, 1978, and the formula accrual rates specified in section 353.29, subdivision 3, for the remainder of credited service, both applied to the average salary as specified in section ~~353.29, subdivision 2~~ 353.01, subdivision 17a. The formula accrual rates to be used in calculating the retirement annuity ~~shall~~ must recognize the service after July 1, 1978, as a member of the former coordinated program of the former Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund and after July 1, 1979, as a member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association as a continuation of service rendered ~~prior to~~ before July 1, 1978. The annuity amount attributable to service as a member of the basic program of the former Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund ~~shall be~~ is payable by from the ~~Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund~~ MERF division and the annuity amount attributable to all other service ~~shall be~~ is payable by from the general employees retirement fund of the Public Employees Retirement Association; .

(2) retain eligibility when otherwise qualified for a disability benefit from the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund until July 1, 1982, notwithstanding coverage by the Public Employees Retirement Association, if the member has or would, without the transfer of retirement coverage from the basic program of the Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund to the coordinated program of the Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund or from the coordinated program of the Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund to the public employees retirement fund, have sufficient credited service prior to January 1, 1983, to meet the minimum service requirements for a disability benefit pursuant to section 422A.18. The disability benefit amount attributable to service as a member of the basic program of the Minneapolis Municipal Employees Retirement Fund shall be payable by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund and the disability benefit amount attributable to all other service shall be payable by the Public Employees Retirement Association.

Sec. 17. [353.50] MERF CONSOLIDATION ACCOUNT; ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION.

Subdivision 1. Administrative consolidation. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or chapter 422A to the contrary, the administration of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund as the MERF division is transferred to the Public Employees Retirement Association board of trustees. The assets, service credit, and benefit liabilities of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund transfer to the MERF division account within the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association established by section 353.27, subdivision 1a, on July 1, 2010.

(b) The creation of the MERF division must not be construed to alter the Social Security or Medicare coverage of any member of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 29, 2010, while employed in a position covered under the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association.

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Subd. 2. Membership transfer. Effective June 30, 2010, the active, inactive, and retired members of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund are transferred to the MERF division administered by the Public Employees Retirement Association and are no longer members of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund.

Subd. 3. Service credit and benefit liability transfer. (a) All allowable service credit and salary credit of the members of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund as specified in the records of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund through June 30, 2010, are transferred to the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association and are credited by the MERF division. Annuities or benefits of persons who are active members of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 30, 2010, must be calculated under Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 422A.11; 422A.12; 422A.13; 422A.14; 422A.15; 422A.151; 422A.155; 422A.156; 422A.16; 422A.17; 422A.18; 422A.19; 422A.20; and 422A.23, but are only eligible for automatic postretirement adjustments after December 31, 2010, under section 356.415.

(b) The liability for the payment of annuities and benefits of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund retirees and benefit recipients as specified in the records of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 29, 2010, is transferred to the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association on June 30, 2010.

Subd. 4. Records transfer. On June 30, 2010, the executive director of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund shall transfer all records and documents relating to the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund and its benefit plan to the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association. To the extent possible, original copies of all records and documents must be transferred.

Subd. 5. Transfer of title to assets. On June 30, 2010, legal title to the assets of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund transfers to the State Board of Investment and the assets must be invested under section 11A.14, as assets of the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association. The MERF division is the successor in interest to all claims that the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund may have or may assert against any person and is the successor in interest to all claims which could have been asserted against the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, but the MERF division is not liable for any claim against the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, its former governing board, or its former administrative staff acting in a fiduciary capacity under chapter 356A or under common law, which is founded upon a claim of breach of fiduciary duty, but where the act or acts constituting the claimed breach were not undertaken in good faith, the Public Employees Retirement Association may assert any applicable defense to any claim in any judicial or administrative proceeding that the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, its former board, or its former administrative staff would otherwise have been entitled to assert, and the Public Employees Retirement Association may assert any applicable defense that it has in its capacity as a statewide agency.

Subd. 6. Benefits. (a) The annuities and benefits of, or attributable to, retired, disabled, deferred, or inactive Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund members with that status as of June 30, 2010, with the exception of post-December 31, 2010, postretirement adjustments, which are governed by paragraph (b), as calculated under Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 422A.11; 422A.12; 422A.13; 422A.14; 422A.15; 422A.151; 422A.155; 422A.156; 422A.16; 422A.17; 422A.18; 422A.19; 422A.20; and 422A.23, continue in force after the administrative consolidation under this article.

(b) After December 31, 2010, annuities and benefits from the MERF division are eligible for annual automatic postretirement adjustments solely under section 356.415.

Subd. 7. MERF division account contributions. (a) After June 30, 2010, the member and employer contributions to the MERF division account are governed by this subdivision.

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(b) An active member covered by the MERF division must make an employee contribution of 9.75 percent of the total salary of the member as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 10. The employee contribution must be made by payroll deduction by the member's employing unit under section 353.27, subdivision 4, and is subject to the provisions of section 353.27, subdivisions 7, 7a, 7b, 12, 12a, and 12b.

(c) The employer regular contribution to the MERF division account with respect to an active MERF division member is 9.75 percent of the total salary of the member as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 10.

(d) The employer additional contribution to the MERF division account with respect to an active member of the MERF division is 2.68 percent of the total salary of the member as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 10, plus the employing unit's share of $3,900,000 that the employing unit paid or is payable to the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 422A.101, subdivision 1a, 2, or 2a, during calendar year 2009, as was certified by the former executive director of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund.

(e) Annually after June 30, 2012, the employer supplemental contribution to the MERF division account by the city of Minneapolis, Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, a Minneapolis-owned public utility, improvement, or municipal activity, Hennepin county, the Metropolitan Council, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is the larger of the following:

(1) the amount by which the total actuarial required contribution determined under section 356.215 by the approved actuary retained by the Public Employees Retirement Association in the most recent actuarial valuation of the MERF division and based on a June 30, 2031, amortization date, after subtracting the contributions under paragraphs (b), (c), and (d), exceeds $24,000,000; or

(2) the amount of $27,000,000, but the total supplemental contribution amount plus the contributions under paragraphs (c) and (d) may not exceed $34,000,000. Each employing unit's share of the total employer supplemental contribution amount is equal to the applicable portion specified in paragraph (g). The initial total actuarial required contribution after June 30, 2012, must be calculated using the mortality assumption change recommended on September 30, 2009, for the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund by the approved consulting actuary retained by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund board.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (c), (d), or (e) to the contrary, as of August 1 annually, if the amount of the retirement annuities and benefits paid from the MERF division account during the preceding fiscal year, multiplied by the factor of 1.035, exceeds the market value of the assets of the MERF division account on the preceding June 30, plus state aid of $9,000,000 or $24,000,000, whichever applies, plus the amounts payable under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) during the preceding fiscal year, multiplied by the factor of 1.035, the balance calculated is a special additional employer contribution. The special additional employer contribution under this paragraph is payable in addition to any employer contribution required under paragraphs (c), (d), and (e), and is payable on or before the following June 30. The special additional employer contribution under this paragraph must be allocated between the city of Minneapolis, Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, any Minneapolis-owned public utility, improvement, or municipal activity, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council, and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in proportion to their share of the actuarial accrued liability of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund as of July 1, 2009, as calculated by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 as part of the actuarial valuation prepared as of July 1, 2009, under section 356.215 and the Standards for Actuarial Work adopted by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

(g) The employer supplemental contribution under paragraph (e) or the special additional employer contribution under paragraph (f) must be allocated between the city of Minneapolis, Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, any Minneapolis-owned public utility, improvement, or municipal activity, the Minnesota State Colleges and

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Universities system, Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council, and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in proportion to their share of the actuarial accrued liability of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund as of July 1, 2009, as calculated by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 as part of the actuarial valuation prepared as of July 1, 2009, under section 356.215 and the Standards for Actuarial Work adopted by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

(h) The employer contributions under paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) must be paid as provided in section 353.28.

(i) Contributions under this subdivision are subject to the provisions of section 353.27, subdivisions 4, 7, 7a, 7b, 11, 12, 12a, 12b, 13, and 14.

Subd. 7a. Minneapolis Municipal Retirement Association dues. If authorized by an annuitant or retirement benefit recipient in writing on a form prescribed by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the executive director shall deduct the dues for the Minneapolis Municipal Retirement Association from the person's annuity or retirement benefit. This dues deduction authority expires upon the eventual full consolidation of the MERF account under subdivision 8.

Subd. 8. Eventual full consolidation. (a) Once the fiscal year end market value of assets of the MERF division account equals or exceeds 80 percent of the actuarial accrued liability of the MERF division as calculated by the approved actuary retained by the Public Employees Retirement Association under section 356.215 and the Standards for Actuarial Work adopted by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, the MERF division must be merged with the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association and the MERF division account ceases as a separate account within the general employees retirement fund of the Public Employees Retirement Association.

(b) If the market value of the MERF division account is less than 100 percent of the actuarial accrued liability of the MERF division under paragraph (a), the total employer contribution of employing units referenced in subdivision 7, paragraph (e), for the period after the full consolidation and June 30, 2031, to amortize on a level annual dollar payment the remaining unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the former MERF division account on the full consolidation date by June 30, 2031, shall be calculated by the consulting actuary retained under section 356.214 using the applicable postretirement interest rate actuarial assumption for the general employees retirement plan under section 356.215. The actuarial accrued liability of the MERF division must be calculated using the healthy retired life mortality assumption applicable to the general employees retirement plan.

(c) The merger shall occur as of the first day of the first month after the date on which the triggering actuarial valuation report is filed with the executive director of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

(d) The executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association shall prepare proposed legislation fully implementing the merger and updating the applicable provisions of chapters 353 and 356 and transmit the proposed legislation to the executive director of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement by the following February 15.

Subd. 9. Merger of former MERF membership groups into PERA-general. If provided for in an agreement between the board of trustees of the Public Employees Retirement Association and the governing board of an employing unit formerly with retirement coverage provided for its employees by the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, an employing unit may transfer sufficient assets to the general employees retirement fund to cover the anticipated actuarial accrued liability for its current or former employees that is in excess of MERF division account assets attributable to those employees, have those employees be considered full members of the general employees retirement plan, and be relieved of any further contribution obligation to the general employees retirement plan for those employees under this section. Any agreement under this subdivision and any actuarial valuation report related to a merger under this subdivision must be submitted to the executive director of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement for comment prior to the final execution.

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Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.64, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7. Pension coverage for ~~certain~~ public safety employees of ~~the~~ Metropolitan Airports Commission. Any person first employed as either a full-time firefighter or a full-time police officer by the Metropolitan Airports Commission ~~after June 30, 1978,~~ who is not eligible for coverage under the agreement signed between the state and the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services making the provisions of the federal Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Act applicable to municipal employees because that position is excluded from application ~~pursuant to~~ under Title 42, United States Code, Sections 418 (d) (5) (A) and 418 (d) (8) (D) and section 355.07, ~~shall not be a member of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund but shall be~~ is a member of the public employees police and fire fund and ~~shall be~~ is deemed to be a firefighter or a police officer within the meaning of this section. The Metropolitan Airports Commission shall make the employer contribution required ~~pursuant to~~ under section 353.65, subdivision 3, with respect to each of its firefighters or police officers covered by the public employees police and fire fund and shall meet the employers recording and reporting requirements set forth in section 353.65, subdivision 4.

Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.215, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8. Interest and salary assumptions. (a) The actuarial valuation must use the applicable following preretirement interest assumption and the applicable following postretirement interest assumption:

preretirement postretirement

interest rate interest rate

plan assumption assumption

general state employees retirement plan 8.5% 6.0%

correctional state employees retirement plan 8.5 6.0

State Patrol retirement plan 8.5 6.0

legislators retirement plan 8.5 6.0

elective state officers retirement plan 8.5 6.0

judges retirement plan 8.5 6.0

general public employees retirement plan 8.5 6.0

public employees police and fire retirement plan 8.5 6.0

local government correctional service retirement plan 8.5 6.0

teachers retirement plan 8.5 6.0

~~Minneapolis employees retirement plan~~ ~~6.0~~ ~~5.0~~

Duluth teachers retirement plan 8.5 8.5

St. Paul teachers retirement plan 8.5 8.5

Minneapolis Police Relief Association 6.0 6.0

Fairmont Police Relief Association 5.0 5.0

Minneapolis Fire Department Relief Association 6.0 6.0

Virginia Fire Department Relief Association 5.0 5.0

Bloomington Fire Department Relief Association 6.0 6.0

local monthly benefit volunteer firefighters relief associations 5.0 5.0

(b) Before July 1, 2010, the actuarial valuation must use the applicable following single rate future salary increase assumption, the applicable following modified single rate future salary increase assumption, or the applicable following graded rate future salary increase assumption:

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(1) single rate future salary increase assumption

future salary

plan increase assumption

legislators retirement plan 5.0%

judges retirement plan 4.0

Minneapolis Police Relief Association 4.0

Fairmont Police Relief Association 3.5

Minneapolis Fire Department Relief Association 4.0

Virginia Fire Department Relief Association 3.5

Bloomington Fire Department Relief Association 4.0

~~(2) modified single rate future salary increase assumption~~

~~future salary~~

~~plan~~ ~~increase assumption~~

~~Minneapolis employees retirement plan~~ ~~the prior calendar year amount increased~~

~~first by 1.0198 percent to prior fiscal year~~

~~date and then increased by 4.0 percent~~

~~annually for each future year~~

~~(3)~~ (2) select and ultimate future salary increase assumption or graded rate future salary increase assumption

future salary

plan increase assumption

general state employees retirement plan select calculation and assumption A

correctional state employees retirement plan assumption H

State Patrol retirement plan assumption G

general public employees retirement plan select calculation and assumption B

public employees police and fire fund retirement plan assumption C

local government correctional service retirement plan assumption G

teachers retirement plan assumption D

Duluth teachers retirement plan assumption E

St. Paul teachers retirement plan assumption F

The select calculation is: during the designated select period, a designated percentage rate is multiplied by the result of the designated integer minus T, where T is the number of completed years of service, and is added to the applicable future salary increase assumption. The designated select period is five years and the designated integer is five for the general state employees retirement plan and the general public employees retirement plan. The designated select period is ten years and the designated integer is ten for all other retirement plans covered by this clause. The designated percentage rate is: (1) 0.2 percent for the correctional state employees retirement plan, the State Patrol retirement plan, the public employees police and fire plan, and the local government correctional service plan; (2) 0.6 percent for the

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general state employees retirement plan and the general public employees retirement plan; and (3) 0.3 percent for the teachers retirement plan, the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, and the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association. The select calculation for the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association is 8.00 percent per year for service years one through seven, 7.25 percent per year for service years seven and eight, and 6.50 percent per year for service years eight and nine.

The ultimate future salary increase assumption is:

age A B C D E F G H

16 5.95% 5.95% 11.00% 7.70% 8.00% 6.90% 7.7500% 7.2500%

17 5.90 5.90 11.00 7.65 8.00 6.90 7.7500 7.2500

18 5.85 5.85 11.00 7.60 8.00 6.90 7.7500 7.2500

19 5.80 5.80 11.00 7.55 8.00 6.90 7.7500 7.2500

20 5.75 5.40 11.00 5.50 6.90 6.90 7.7500 7.2500

21 5.75 5.40 11.00 5.50 6.90 6.90 7.1454 6.6454

22 5.75 5.40 10.50 5.50 6.90 6.90 7.0725 6.5725

23 5.75 5.40 10.00 5.50 6.85 6.85 7.0544 6.5544

24 5.75 5.40 9.50 5.50 6.80 6.80 7.0363 6.5363

25 5.75 5.40 9.00 5.50 6.75 6.75 7.0000 6.5000

26 5.75 5.36 8.70 5.50 6.70 6.70 7.0000 6.5000

27 5.75 5.32 8.40 5.50 6.65 6.65 7.0000 6.5000

28 5.75 5.28 8.10 5.50 6.60 6.60 7.0000 6.5000

29 5.75 5.24 7.80 5.50 6.55 6.55 7.0000 6.5000

30 5.75 5.20 7.50 5.50 6.50 6.50 7.0000 6.5000

31 5.75 5.16 7.30 5.50 6.45 6.45 7.0000 6.5000

32 5.75 5.12 7.10 5.50 6.40 6.40 7.0000 6.5000

33 5.75 5.08 6.90 5.50 6.35 6.35 7.0000 6.5000

34 5.75 5.04 6.70 5.50 6.30 6.30 7.0000 6.5000

35 5.75 5.00 6.50 5.50 6.25 6.25 7.0000 6.5000

36 5.75 4.96 6.30 5.50 6.20 6.20 6.9019 6.4019

37 5.75 4.92 6.10 5.50 6.15 6.15 6.8074 6.3074

38 5.75 4.88 5.90 5.40 6.10 6.10 6.7125 6.2125

39 5.75 4.84 5.70 5.30 6.05 6.05 6.6054 6.1054

40 5.75 4.80 5.50 5.20 6.00 6.00 6.5000 6.0000

41 5.75 4.76 5.40 5.10 5.90 5.95 6.3540 5.8540

42 5.75 4.72 5.30 5.00 5.80 5.90 6.2087 5.7087

43 5.65 4.68 5.20 4.90 5.70 5.85 6.0622 5.5622

44 5.55 4.64 5.10 4.80 5.60 5.80 5.9048 5.4078

45 5.45 4.60 5.00 4.70 5.50 5.75 5.7500 5.2500

46 5.35 4.56 4.95 4.60 5.40 5.70 5.6940 5.1940

47 5.25 4.52 4.90 4.50 5.30 5.65 5.6375 5.1375

48 5.15 4.48 4.85 4.50 5.20 5.60 5.5822 5.0822

49 5.05 4.44 4.80 4.50 5.10 5.55 5.5404 5.0404

50 4.95 4.40 4.75 4.50 5.00 5.50 5.5000 5.0000

51 4.85 4.36 4.75 4.50 4.90 5.45 5.4384 4.9384

52 4.75 4.32 4.75 4.50 4.80 5.40 5.3776 4.8776

53 4.65 4.28 4.75 4.50 4.70 5.35 5.3167 4.8167

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54 4.55 4.24 4.75 4.50 4.60 5.30 5.2826 4.7826

55 4.45 4.20 4.75 4.50 4.50 5.25 5.2500 4.7500

56 4.35 4.16 4.75 4.50 4.40 5.20 5.2500 4.7500

57 4.25 4.12 4.75 4.50 4.30 5.15 5.2500 4.7500

58 4.25 4.08 4.75 4.60 4.20 5.10 5.2500 4.7500

59 4.25 4.04 4.75 4.70 4.10 5.05 5.2500 4.7500

60 4.25 4.00 4.75 4.80 4.00 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

61 4.25 4.00 4.75 4.90 3.90 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

62 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.00 3.80 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

63 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.10 3.70 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

64 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.60 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

65 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

66 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

67 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

68 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

69 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

70 4.25 4.00 4.75 5.20 3.50 5.00 5.2500 4.7500

71 4.25 4.00 5.20

(c) Before July 2, 2010, the actuarial valuation must use the applicable following payroll growth assumption for calculating the amortization requirement for the unfunded actuarial accrued liability where the amortization retirement is calculated as a level percentage of an increasing payroll:

plan payroll growth assumption

general state employees retirement plan 4.50%

correctional state employees retirement plan 4.50

State Patrol retirement plan 4.50

legislators retirement plan 4.50

judges retirement plan 4.00

general public employees retirement plan 4.50

public employees police and fire retirement plan 4.50

local government correctional service retirement plan 4.50

teachers retirement plan 4.50

Duluth teachers retirement plan 4.50

St. Paul teachers retirement plan 5.00

(d) After July 1, 2010, the assumptions set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) continue to apply, unless a different salary assumption or a different payroll increase assumption:

(1) has been proposed by the governing board of the applicable retirement plan;

(2) is accompanied by the concurring recommendation of the actuary retained under section 356.214, subdivision 1, if applicable, or by the approved actuary preparing the most recent actuarial valuation report if section 356.214 does not apply; and

(3) has been approved or deemed approved under subdivision 18.

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Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 356.215, subdivision 11, is amended to read:

Subd. 11. Amortization contributions. (a) In addition to the exhibit indicating the level normal cost, the actuarial valuation of the retirement plan must contain an exhibit for financial reporting purposes indicating the additional annual contribution sufficient to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability and must contain an exhibit for contribution determination purposes indicating the additional contribution sufficient to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability. For the retirement plans listed in subdivision 8, paragraph (c), but excluding the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the additional contribution must be calculated on a level percentage of covered payroll basis by the established date for full funding in effect when the valuation is prepared, assuming annual payroll growth at the applicable percentage rate set forth in subdivision 8, paragraph (c). For all other retirement plans and for the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the additional annual contribution must be calculated on a level annual dollar amount basis.

(b) For any retirement plan other than ~~the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, the general employees~~ a retirement plan ~~of the Public Employees Retirement Association, and the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association~~ governed by paragraph (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), or (j), if there has not been a change in the actuarial assumptions used for calculating the actuarial accrued liability of the fund, a change in the benefit plan governing annuities and benefits payable from the fund, a change in the actuarial cost method used in calculating the actuarial accrued liability of all or a portion of the fund, or a combination of the three, which change or changes by itself or by themselves without inclusion of any other items of increase or decrease produce a net increase in the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the fund, the established date for full funding is the first actuarial valuation date occurring after June 1, 2020.

(c) For any retirement plan other than the ~~Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund and the~~ general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, if there has been a change in any or all of the actuarial assumptions used for calculating the actuarial accrued liability of the fund, a change in the benefit plan governing annuities and benefits payable from the fund, a change in the actuarial cost method used in calculating the actuarial accrued liability of all or a portion of the fund, or a combination of the three, and the change or changes, by itself or by themselves and without inclusion of any other items of increase or decrease, produce a net increase in the unfunded actuarial accrued liability in the fund, the established date for full funding must be determined using the following procedure:

(i) the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the fund must be determined in accordance with the plan provisions governing annuities and retirement benefits and the actuarial assumptions in effect before an applicable change;

(ii) the level annual dollar contribution or level percentage, whichever is applicable, needed to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount determined under item (i) by the established date for full funding in effect before the change must be calculated using the interest assumption specified in subdivision 8 in effect before the change;

(iii) the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the fund must be determined in accordance with any new plan provisions governing annuities and benefits payable from the fund and any new actuarial assumptions and the remaining plan provisions governing annuities and benefits payable from the fund and actuarial assumptions in effect before the change;

(iv) the level annual dollar contribution or level percentage, whichever is applicable, needed to amortize the difference between the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount calculated under item (i) and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount calculated under item (iii) over a period of 30 years from the end of the plan year in which the applicable change is effective must be calculated using the applicable interest assumption specified in subdivision 8 in effect after any applicable change;

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(v) the level annual dollar or level percentage amortization contribution under item (iv) must be added to the level annual dollar amortization contribution or level percentage calculated under item (ii);

(vi) the period in which the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount determined in item (iii) is amortized by the total level annual dollar or level percentage amortization contribution computed under item (v) must be calculated using the interest assumption specified in subdivision 8 in effect after any applicable change, rounded to the nearest integral number of years, but not to exceed 30 years from the end of the plan year in which the determination of the established date for full funding using the procedure set forth in this clause is made and not to be less than the period of years beginning in the plan year in which the determination of the established date for full funding using the procedure set forth in this clause is made and ending by the date for full funding in effect before the change; and

(vii) the period determined under item (vi) must be added to the date as of which the actuarial valuation was prepared and the date obtained is the new established date for full funding.

(d) For the ~~Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund~~ MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the established date for full funding is June 30, ~~2020~~ 2031.

(e) For the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, the established date for full funding is June 30, 2031.

(f) For the Teachers Retirement Association, the established date for full funding is June 30, 2037.

(g) For the correctional state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, the established date for full funding is June 30, 2038.

(h) For the judges retirement plan, the established date for full funding is June 30, 2038.

(i) For the public employees police and fire retirement plan, the established date for full funding is June 30, 2038.

(j) For the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, the established date for full funding is June 30 of the 25th year from the valuation date. In addition to other requirements of this chapter, the annual actuarial valuation ~~shall~~ must contain an exhibit indicating the funded ratio and the deficiency or sufficiency in annual contributions when comparing liabilities to the market value of the assets of the fund as of the close of the most recent fiscal year.

(k) For the retirement plans for which the annual actuarial valuation indicates an excess of valuation assets over the actuarial accrued liability, the valuation assets in excess of the actuarial accrued liability must be recognized as a reduction in the current contribution requirements by an amount equal to the amortization of the excess expressed as a level percentage of pay over a 30-year period beginning anew with each annual actuarial valuation of the plan.

Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 422A.101, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. State contributions. (a) Subject to the limitation ~~set forth~~ in paragraph (c), the state shall pay to the MERF division account of the Public Employees Retirement Association with respect to the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund annually an amount equal to the amount calculated under paragraph (b).

(b) The payment amount is an amount equal to the financial requirements of the ~~Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund~~ MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association reported in the actuarial valuation of the ~~fund~~ general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association prepared by the actuary retained under section 356.214 consistent with section 356.215 for the most recent year but based on a target

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date for full amortization of the unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities by June 30, ~~2020~~ 2031, less the amount of employee contributions required under section ~~422A.10~~ 353.50, subdivision 7, paragraph (b), and the amount of employer contributions required under ~~subdivisions 1a, 2, and 2a~~ section 353.50, subdivision 7, paragraphs (c) and (d). Payments ~~shall~~ must be made September 15 annually.

(c) The annual state contribution under this subdivision may not exceed $9,000,000, plus the cost of the annual supplemental benefit determined under Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.43, through June 30, 2012, and may not exceed $9,000,000, plus the cost of the annual supplemental benefit determined under Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.43, plus $15,000,000 annually after June 30, 2012, and until June 30, 2031.

(d) Annually and after June 30, 2012, if the amount determined under paragraph (b) exceeds ~~$9,000,000~~ the applicable maximum amount specified in paragraph (c), the excess must be allocated to and paid to the fund by the employers identified in Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 422A.101, subdivisions 1a ~~and~~, 2, and 2a ~~other than units of metropolitan government~~. Each employer's share of the excess is proportionate to the employer's share of the fund's unfunded actuarial accrued liability as disclosed in the annual actuarial valuation prepared by the actuary retained under section 356.214 compared to the total unfunded actuarial accrued liability as of July 1, 2009, attributed to all employers identified in Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 422A.101, subdivisions 1a and 2, other than units of metropolitan government. Payments must be made ~~in equal installments~~ as set forth in paragraph (b).

(e) State contributions under this section end on September 15, 2031, or on September 1 following the first date on which the current assets of the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association equal or exceed the actuarial accrued liability of the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association, whichever occurs earlier.

Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 422A.26, is amended to read:

422A.26 COVERAGE BY THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION.

Notwithstanding ~~section 422A.09, or~~ any ~~other~~ law to the contrary, any person whose employment by, or assumption of a position as an appointed or elected officer of, the city of Minneapolis, any of the boards, departments, or commissions operated as a department of the city of Minneapolis or independently if financed in whole or in part by funds of the city of Minneapolis, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, or Special School District Number 1 if the person is not a member of the ~~Minneapolis~~ Teachers Retirement ~~Fund~~ Association by virtue of that employment or position, initially commences on or after July 1, 1979 ~~shall be~~ is a member of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association unless excluded from membership ~~pursuant to~~ under section 353.01, subdivision 2b. ~~In no event shall there be any new members of the contributing class of the Minneapolis employees fund on or after July 1, 1979.~~

Sec. 23. JULY 1, 2010, MERF DIVISION ACTUARIAL VALUATION ASSUMPTIONS.

The approved actuary retained by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund shall compare the actuarial assumptions to be used for the July 1, 2010, actuarial valuation of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association with the actuarial assumptions used to prepare the July 1, 2009, actuarial valuation of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund and, on or before July 1, 2010, shall recommend to the approved actuary retained by the Public Employees Retirement Association and to the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement the actuarial assumptions that the actuary believes would be appropriate for the MERF division portion of the actuarial valuation of the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association. Any actuarial assumption changes related to the MERF division must be approved under Minnesota Statutes, section 356.215, subdivision 18.

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Sec. 24. MINNEAPOLIS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION.

(a) The administrative consolidation of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund into the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association and the merger of the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association into the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association does not affect the function of the Minneapolis Municipal Retirement Association, a nonprofit corporation, to monitor the administration of the retirement coverage for former members of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund.

(b) Nothing in this article entitles the Minneapolis Municipal Retirement Association to receive any revenue derived from taxes or obligates the Public Employees Retirement Association to undertake any special duties with respect to the corporation.

Sec. 25. TRANSFER OF MERF EMPLOYEES.

(a) Unless the employee elects the severance pay option under paragraph (c), full-time employees of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund first employed before June 30, 2008, and employed full time by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 29, 2010, with the employment title of benefits coordinator, are transferred to employment by the city of Minneapolis on July 1, 2010. The chief human relations official of the city of Minneapolis shall place the transferred employee in an appropriate employment position based on the employee's education and employment experience. Transferred employees must have their accumulated, but unused, vacation and sick leave balances as of June 30, 2010, posted to the individual accounts with the new employer. The transferred employees must receive length of service credit for time served with the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund. The transferred employee must be given the opportunity as of the date of transfer to be covered for all health and other insurance benefits offered by the new employer. Upon the transfer of the employee, the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund shall transfer assets to the city of Minneapolis equal to the present value of any accumulated unused vacation or sick leave balances as of the date of transfer.

(b) Unless the employee elects the severance pay option under paragraph (c), full-time employees of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund first employed before June 30, 2008, and employed full time by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 29, 2010, with the employment title of accounting manager or accountant II are transferred to employment by the Public Employees Retirement Association on July 1, 2010. The chief human relations official of the Public Employees Retirement Association shall place the transferred employee in an appropriate employment position based on the employee's education and employment experience. Transferred employees must have their accumulated, but unused, vacation and sick leave balances as of June 30, 2010, posted to the individual accounts with the new employer. The transferred employees must receive length of service credit for time served with the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund. The transferred employee must be given the opportunity as of the date of transfer to be covered for all health and other insurance benefits offered by the new employer. Upon the transfer of the employee, the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association shall deduct from any assets transferred under section 353.50 an amount equal to the present value of any accumulated unused vacation or sick leave balances as of the date of transfer.

(c) An employee covered by paragraph (a) or (b) who elects not to transfer to the new employer unit is granted severance pay in an amount equivalent to one year of salary based on the last annual salary rate received by the employee. The election must be made prior to June 30, 2010, and is irrevocable. The severance pay is payable from the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund on June 30, 2010.

Sec. 26. MINNEAPOLIS EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND.

$10,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 is appropriated to the Minneapolis employees retirement fund, and is payable to the Minneapolis employees retirement fund on or before June 29, 2010. This is a onetime appropriation, and is in addition to the amounts paid by the state in fiscal year 2010 under Minnesota Statutes, section 422A.101, subdivision 2.

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Sec. 27. REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.

In the next and future editions of Minnesota Statutes, the revisor of statutes shall renumber Minnesota Statutes, section 422A.101, subdivision 3, as Minnesota Statutes, section 353.505, and shall renumber Minnesota Statutes, section 422A.26, as Minnesota Statutes, section 353.855. The revisor of statutes shall make conforming changes in Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules consistent with the renumbering.

Sec. 28. REPEALER.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 13.63, subdivision 1; 69.011, subdivision 2a; 356.43; 422A.01, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13a, 17, and 18; 422A.02; 422A.03; 422A.04; 422A.05, subdivisions 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 5, 6, and 8; 422A.06, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7; 422A.08, subdivision 1; 422A.09; 422A.10; 422A.101, subdivisions 1, 1a, 2, and 2a; 422A.11; 422A.12; 422A.13; 422A.14, subdivision 1; 422A.15; 422A.151; 422A.155; 422A.156; 422A.16, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; 422A.17; 422A.18, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7; 422A.19; 422A.20; 422A.21; 422A.22, subdivisions 1, 3, 4, and 6; 422A.23, subdivisions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12; 422A.231; 422A.24; and 422A.25, are repealed.

Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, sections 422A.06, subdivision 8; and 422A.08, subdivision 5, are repealed.

Sec. 29. EFFECTIVE DATE.

(a) Sections 1 to 25, 27, and 28 are effective June 30, 2010.

(b) Section 26 is effective the day following final enactment.

ARTICLE 2

CONFORMING CHANGES RELATED TO THE MERF ADMINISTRATIVE CONSOLIDATION

Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 6.67, is amended to read:

6.67 PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS; REPORT OF POSSIBLE MISCONDUCT.

Whenever a public accountant in the course of auditing the books and affairs of a political subdivision or a local public pension plan governed by section 69.77, sections 69.771 to 69.775, or chapter 354A, ~~422A,~~ 423B, 423C, or 424A, discovers evidence pointing to nonfeasance, misfeasance, or malfeasance, on the part of an officer or employee in the conduct of duties and affairs, the public accountant shall promptly make a report of such discovery to the state auditor and the county attorney of the county in which the governmental unit is situated and the public accountant shall also furnish a copy of the report of audit upon completion to said officers. The county attorney shall act on such report in the same manner as required by law for reports made to the county attorney by the state auditor.

Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 11A.23, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4. Covered retirement funds and plans. The provisions of this section ~~shall~~ must apply to the following retirement funds and plans:

(1) Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities supplemental retirement plan established under chapter 354C;

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(2) state employees retirement fund established pursuant to chapter 352;

(3) correctional employees retirement plan established pursuant to chapter 352;

(4) State Patrol retirement fund established pursuant to chapter 352B;

(5) unclassified employees retirement plan established pursuant to chapter 352D;

(6) ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund established pursuant to chapter 353;

(7) public employees police and fire fund established pursuant to chapter 353;

(8) teachers' retirement fund established pursuant to chapter 354;

(9) judges' retirement fund established pursuant to chapter 490; and

(10) any other funds required by law to be invested by the board.

Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 13D.01, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. In executive branch, local government. All meetings, including executive sessions, must be open to the public

(a) of a state

(1) agency,

(2) board,

(3) commission, or

(4) department,

when required or permitted by law to transact public business in a meeting;

(b) of the governing body of a

(1) school district however organized,

(2) unorganized territory,

(3) county,

(4) statutory or home rule charter city,

(5) town, or

(6) other public body;

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(1) committee,

(2) subcommittee,

(3) board,

(4) department, or

(5) commission,

of a public body; and

(d) of the governing body or a committee of:

(1) a statewide public pension plan defined in section 356A.01, subdivision 24; or

(2) a local public pension plan governed by section 69.77, sections 69.771 to 69.775, or chapter 354A, ~~422A,~~ or 423B.

Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 43A.17, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9. Political subdivision compensation limit. (a) The salary and the value of all other forms of compensation of a person employed by a political subdivision of this state, excluding a school district, ~~or employed under section 422A.03~~ may not exceed 110 percent of the salary of the governor as set under section 15A.082, except as provided in this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, "political subdivision of this state" includes a statutory or home rule charter city, county, town, metropolitan or regional agency, or other political subdivision, but does not include a hospital, clinic, or health maintenance organization owned by such a governmental unit.

(b) Beginning in 2006, the limit in paragraph (a) ~~shall~~ must be adjusted annually in January. The limit ~~shall~~ must equal the limit for the prior year increased by the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers from October of the second prior year to October of the immediately prior year.

(c) Deferred compensation and payroll allocations to purchase an individual annuity contract for an employee are included in determining the employee's salary. Other forms of compensation which ~~shall~~ must be included to determine an employee's total compensation are all other direct and indirect items of compensation which are not specifically excluded by this subdivision. Other forms of compensation which ~~shall~~ must not be included in a determination of an employee's total compensation for the purposes of this subdivision are:

(1) employee benefits that are also provided for the majority of all other full-time employees of the political subdivision, vacation and sick leave allowances, health and dental insurance, disability insurance, term life insurance, and pension benefits or like benefits the cost of which is borne by the employee or which is not subject to tax as income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(2) dues paid to organizations that are of a civic, professional, educational, or governmental nature; and

(3) reimbursement for actual expenses incurred by the employee which the governing body determines to be directly related to the performance of job responsibilities, including any relocation expenses paid during the initial year of employment.

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The value of other forms of compensation ~~shall be~~ is the annual cost to the political subdivision for the provision of the compensation.

(d) The salary of a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy occupying a position that the governing body of the political subdivision has determined requires an M.D. or D.O. degree is excluded from the limitation in this subdivision.

(e) The commissioner may increase the limitation in this subdivision for a position that the commissioner has determined requires special expertise necessitating a higher salary to attract or retain a qualified person. The commissioner shall review each proposed increase giving due consideration to salary rates paid to other persons with similar responsibilities in the state and nation. The commissioner may not increase the limitation until the commissioner has presented the proposed increase to the Legislative Coordinating Commission and received the commission's recommendation on it. The recommendation is advisory only. If the commission does not give its recommendation on a proposed increase within 30 days from its receipt of the proposal, the commission is deemed to have made no recommendation. If the commissioner grants or granted an increase under this paragraph, the new limitation ~~shall~~ must be adjusted beginning in August 2005 and in each subsequent calendar year in January by the percentage increase equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers from October of the second prior year to October of the immediately prior year.

Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 43A.316, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8. Continuation of coverage. (a) A former employee of an employer participating in the program who is receiving a public pension disability benefit or an annuity or has met the age and service requirements necessary to receive an annuity under chapter 353, 353C, 354, 354A, 356, ~~422A,~~ 423, 423A, or 424, or Minnesota Statutes 2008, chapter 422A, and the former employee's dependents, are eligible to participate in the program. This participation is at the person's expense unless a collective bargaining agreement or personnel policy provides otherwise. Premiums for these participants must be established by the commissioner.

The commissioner may provide policy exclusions for preexisting conditions only when there is a break in coverage between a participant's coverage under the employment-based group insurance program and the participant's coverage under this section. An employer shall notify an employee of the option to participate under this paragraph no later than the effective date of retirement. The retired employee or the employer of a participating group on behalf of a current or retired employee shall notify the commissioner within 30 days of the effective date of retirement of intent to participate in the program according to the rules established by the commissioner.

(b) The spouse of a deceased employee or former employee may purchase the benefits provided at premiums established by the commissioner if the spouse was a dependent under the employee's or former employee's coverage under this section at the time of the death. The spouse remains eligible to participate in the program as long as the group that included the deceased employee or former employee participates in the program. Coverage under this clause must be coordinated with relevant insurance benefits provided through the federally sponsored Medicare program.

(c) The program benefits must continue in the event of strike permitted by section 179A.18, if the exclusive representative chooses to have coverage continue and the employee pays the total monthly premiums when due.

(d) A participant who discontinues coverage may not reenroll.

Persons participating under these paragraphs shall make appropriate premium payments in the time and manner established by the commissioner.

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Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 69.011, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Definitions. Unless the language or context clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended, the following words and terms, for the purposes of this chapter and chapters 423, 423A, 424 and 424A, have the meanings ascribed to them:

(a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of revenue.

(b) "Municipality" means:

(1) a home rule charter or statutory city;

(2) an organized town;

(3) a park district subject to chapter 398;

(4) the University of Minnesota;

(5) for purposes of the fire state aid program only, an American Indian tribal government entity located within a federally recognized American Indian reservation;

(6) for purposes of the police state aid program only, an American Indian tribal government with a tribal police department which exercises state arrest powers under section 626.90, 626.91, 626.92, or 626.93;

(7) for purposes of the police state aid program only, the Metropolitan Airports Commission ~~with respect to peace officers covered under chapter 422A~~; and

(8) for purposes of the police state aid program only, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Safety with respect to peace officers covered under chapter 352B.

(c) "Minnesota Firetown Premium Report" means a form prescribed by the commissioner containing space for reporting by insurers of fire, lightning, sprinkler leakage and extended coverage premiums received upon risks located or to be performed in this state less return premiums and dividends.

(d) "Firetown" means the area serviced by any municipality having a qualified fire department or a qualified incorporated fire department having a subsidiary volunteer firefighters' relief association.

(e) "Market value" means latest available market value of all property in a taxing jurisdiction, whether the property is subject to taxation, or exempt from ad valorem taxation obtained from information which appears on abstracts filed with the commissioner of revenue or equalized by the State Board of Equalization.

(f) "Minnesota Aid to Police Premium Report" means a form prescribed by the commissioner for reporting by each fire and casualty insurer of all premiums received upon direct business received by it in this state, or by its agents for it, in cash or otherwise, during the preceding calendar year, with reference to insurance written for insuring against the perils contained in auto insurance coverages as reported in the Minnesota business schedule of the annual financial statement which each insurer is required to file with the commissioner in accordance with the governing laws or rules less return premiums and dividends.

(g) "Peace officer" means any person:

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(1) whose primary source of income derived from wages is from direct employment by a municipality or county as a law enforcement officer on a full-time basis of not less than 30 hours per week;

(2) who has been employed for a minimum of six months prior to December 31 preceding the date of the current year's certification under subdivision 2, clause (b);

(3) who is sworn to enforce the general criminal laws of the state and local ordinances;

(4) who is licensed by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board and is authorized to arrest with a warrant; and

(5) who is a member of ~~a local police relief association to which section 69.77 applies~~ the Minneapolis Police Relief Association, the State Patrol retirement plan, or the public employees police and fire fund~~, or the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund~~.

(h) "Full-time equivalent number of peace officers providing contract service" means the integral or fractional number of peace officers which would be necessary to provide the contract service if all peace officers providing service were employed on a full-time basis as defined by the employing unit and the municipality receiving the contract service.

(i) "Retirement benefits other than a service pension" means any disbursement authorized under section 424A.05, subdivision 3, clauses (2) and (3).

(j) "Municipal clerk, municipal clerk-treasurer, or county auditor" means the person who was elected or appointed to the specified position or, in the absence of the person, another person who is designated by the applicable governing body. In a park district, the clerk is the secretary of the board of park district commissioners. In the case of the University of Minnesota, the clerk is that official designated by the Board of Regents. For the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the clerk is the person designated by the commission. For the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Public Safety, the clerk is the respective commissioner. For a tribal police department which exercises state arrest powers under section 626.90, 626.91, 626.92, or 626.93, the clerk is the person designated by the applicable American Indian tribal government.

(k) "Voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan" means the retirement plan established by chapter 353G.

Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 69.021, subdivision 10, is amended to read:

Subd. 10. Reduction in police state aid apportionment. (a) The commissioner of revenue shall reduce the apportionment of police state aid under subdivisions 5, paragraph (b), 6, and 7a, for eligible employer units by any excess police state aid.

(b) "Excess police state aid" is:

(1) for counties and for municipalities in which police retirement coverage is provided wholly by the public employees police and fire fund and all police officers are members of the plan governed by sections 353.63 to 353.657, the amount in excess of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation as defined in paragraph (c), as certified by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(2) for municipalities in which police retirement coverage is provided in part by the public employees police and fire fund governed by sections 353.63 to 353.657 and in part by a local police consolidation account governed by chapter 353A, and established before March 2, 1999, for which the municipality declined merger under section

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353.665, subdivision 1, or established after March 1, 1999, the amount in excess of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation as defined in paragraph (c), plus the amount of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation under section 353A.09, subdivision 5, paragraphs (a) and (b), as certified by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(3) for municipalities in which police retirement coverage is provided by the public employees police and fire plan governed by sections 353.63 to 353.657, in which police retirement coverage was provided by a police consolidation account under chapter 353A before July 1, 1999, and for which the municipality has an additional municipal contribution under section 353.665, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), the amount in excess of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation as defined in paragraph (c), plus the amount of any additional municipal contribution under section 353.665, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), until the year 2010, as certified by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(4) for municipalities in which police retirement coverage is provided in part by the public employees police and fire fund governed by sections 353.63 to 353.657 and in part by a local police relief association governed by sections 69.77 and 423A.01, the amount in excess of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation as defined in paragraph (c), as certified by the executive director of the public employees retirement association, plus the amount of the financial requirements of the relief association certified to the applicable municipality during the prior calendar year under section 69.77, subdivisions 4 and 5, reduced by the amount of member contributions deducted from the covered salary of the relief association during the prior calendar year under section 69.77, subdivision 3, as certified by the chief administrative officer of the applicable municipality;

(5) for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, ~~if there are police officers hired before July 1, 1978, with retirement coverage by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund remaining,~~ the amount in excess of the commission's total prior calendar year obligation as defined in paragraph (c), as certified by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association, plus the amount determined by expressing the commission's total prior calendar year contribution to the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section 422A.101, subdivisions 2 and 2a, as a percentage of the commission's total prior calendar year covered payroll for commission employees covered by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund and applying that percentage to the commission's total prior calendar year covered payroll for commission police officers covered by the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, as certified by the chief administrative officer of the Metropolitan Airports Commission; and

(6) for the Department of Natural Resources and for the Department of Public Safety, the amount in excess of the employer's total prior calendar year obligation under section 352B.02, subdivision 1c, for plan members who are peace officers under section 69.011, subdivision 1, clause (g), as certified by the executive director of the Minnesota State Retirement System.

(c) The employer's total prior calendar year obligation with respect to the public employees police and fire plan is the total prior calendar year obligation under section 353.65, subdivision 3, for police officers as defined in section 353.64, subdivision 2, and the actual total prior calendar year obligation under section 353.65, subdivision 3, for firefighters, as defined in section 353.64, subdivision 3, but not to exceed for those firefighters the applicable following amounts:

Municipality Maximum Amount

Albert Lea $54,157.01

Anoka 10,399.31

Apple Valley 5,442.44

Austin 49,864.73

Bemidji 27,671.38

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Brooklyn Center 6,605.92

Brooklyn Park 24,002.26

Burnsville 15,956.00

Cloquet 4,260.49

Coon Rapids 39,920.00

Cottage Grove 8,588.48

Crystal 5,855.00

East Grand Forks 51,009.88

Edina 32,251.00

Elk River 5,216.55

Ely 13,584.16

Eveleth 16,288.27

Fergus Falls 6,742.00

Fridley 33,420.64

Golden Valley 11,744.61

Hastings 16,561.00

Hopkins 4,324.23

International Falls 14,400.69

Lakeville 782.35

Lino Lakes 5,324.00

Little Falls 7,889.41

Maple Grove 6,707.54

Maplewood 8,476.69

Minnetonka 10,403.00

Montevideo 1,307.66

Moorhead 68,069.26

New Hope 6,739.72

North St. Paul 4,241.14

Northfield 770.63

Owatonna 37,292.67

Plymouth 6,754.71

Red Wing 3,504.01

Richfield 53,757.96

~~Rosemont~~ Rosemount 1,712.55

Roseville 9,854.51

St. Anthony 33,055.00

St. Louis Park 53,643.11

Thief River Falls 28,365.04

Virginia 31,164.46

Waseca 11,135.17

West St. Paul 15,707.20

White Bear Lake 6,521.04

Woodbury 3,613.00

any other municipality 0.00

(d) The total amount of excess police state aid must be deposited in the excess police state-aid account in the general fund, administered and distributed as provided in subdivision 11.

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Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 69.031, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5. Deposit of state aid. (a) If the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is covered by the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan under chapter 353G, the executive director shall credit the fire state aid against future municipal contribution requirements under section 353G.08 and shall notify the municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation of the fire state aid so credited at least annually. If the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is not covered by the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan, the municipal treasurer shall, within 30 days after receipt, transmit the fire state aid to the treasurer of the duly incorporated firefighters' relief association if there is one organized and the association has filed a financial report with the municipality. If the relief association has not filed a financial report with the municipality, the municipal treasurer shall delay transmission of the fire state aid to the relief association until the complete financial report is filed. If the municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is not covered by the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan, if there is no relief association organized, or if the association has dissolved or has been removed as trustees of state aid, then the treasurer of the municipality shall deposit the money in the municipal treasury and the money may be disbursed only for the purposes and in the manner set forth in section 424A.08 or for the payment of the employer contribution requirement with respect to firefighters covered by the public employees police and fire retirement plan under section 353.65, subdivision 3.

(b) The municipal treasurer, upon receipt of the police state aid, shall disburse the police state aid in the following manner:

(1) For a municipality in which a local police relief association exists and all peace officers are members of the association, the total state aid must be transmitted to the treasurer of the relief association within 30 days of the date of receipt, and the treasurer of the relief association shall immediately deposit the total state aid in the special fund of the relief association;

(2) For a municipality in which police retirement coverage is provided by the public employees police and fire fund and all peace officers are members of the fund, including municipalities covered by section 353.665, the total state aid must be applied toward the municipality's employer contribution to the public employees police and fire fund under sections 353.65, subdivision 3, and 353.665, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), if applicable; or

(3) For a municipality other than a city of the first class with a population of more than 300,000 in which both a police relief association exists and police retirement coverage is provided in part by the public employees police and fire fund, the municipality may elect at its option to transmit the total state aid to the treasurer of the relief association as provided in clause (1), to use the total state aid to apply toward the municipality's employer contribution to the public employees police and fire fund subject to all the provisions set forth in clause (2), or to allot the total state aid proportionately to be transmitted to the police relief association as provided in this subdivision and to apply toward the municipality's employer contribution to the public employees police and fire fund subject to the provisions of clause (2) on the basis of the respective number of active full-time peace officers, as defined in section 69.011, subdivision 1, clause (g).

For a city of the first class with a population of more than 300,000, in addition, the city may elect to allot the appropriate portion of the total police state aid to apply toward the employer contribution of the city to the public employees police and fire fund based on the covered salary of police officers covered by the fund each payroll period and to transmit the balance to the police relief association; or

(4) For a municipality in which police retirement coverage is provided in part by the public employees police and fire fund and in part by a local police consolidation account governed by chapter 353A and established before March 2, 1999, for which the municipality declined merger under section 353.665, subdivision 1, or established after March 1, 1999, the total police state aid must be applied towards the municipality's total employer contribution to the public employees police and fire fund and to the local police consolidation account under sections 353.65, subdivision 3, and 353A.09, subdivision 5.

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(c) The county treasurer, upon receipt of the police state aid for the county, shall apply the total state aid toward the county's employer contribution to the public employees police and fire fund under section 353.65, subdivision 3.

(d) The designated Metropolitan Airports Commission official, upon receipt of the police state aid for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, shall apply the total police state aid ~~first~~ toward the commission's employer contribution for police officers to the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section 422A.101, subdivision 2a, and, if there is any amount of police state aid remaining, shall apply that remainder toward the commission's employer contribution for police officers to the public employees police and fire plan under section 353.65, subdivision 3.

(e) The police state aid apportioned to the Departments of Public Safety and Natural Resources under section 69.021, subdivision 7a, is appropriated to the commissioner of management and budget for transfer to the funds and accounts from which the salaries of peace officers certified under section 69.011, subdivision 2a 2b, are paid. The commissioner of revenue shall certify to the commissioners of public safety, natural resources, and management and budget the amounts to be transferred from the appropriation for police state aid. The commissioners of public safety and natural resources shall certify to the commissioner of management and budget the amounts to be credited to each of the funds and accounts from which the peace officers employed by their respective departments are paid. Each commissioner shall allocate the police state aid first for employer contributions for employees funded from the general fund and then for employer contributions for employees funded from other funds. For peace officers whose salaries are paid from the general fund, the amounts transferred from the appropriation for police state aid must be canceled to the general fund.

Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 126C.41, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Retirement levies. (a) In 1991 and each year thereafter, a district to which this subdivision applies may levy an additional amount required for contributions to the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association as the successor of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund as a result of the maximum dollar amount limitation on state contributions to ~~the fund~~ that plan imposed under section 422A.101, subdivision 3. The additional levy must not exceed the most recent amount certified by the ~~board of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund~~ executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association as the district's share of the contribution requirement in excess of the maximum state contribution under section 422A.101, subdivision 3.

(b) For taxes payable in 1994 and thereafter, Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, and Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, may levy for the increase in the employer retirement fund contributions, under Laws 1992, chapter 598, article 5, section 1.

(c) If the employer retirement fund contributions under section 354A.12, subdivision 2a, are increased for fiscal year 1994 or later fiscal years, Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, and Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, may levy in payable 1994 or later an amount equal to the amount derived by applying the net increase in the employer retirement fund contribution rate of the respective teacher retirement fund association between fiscal year 1993 and the fiscal year beginning in the year after the levy is certified to the total covered payroll of the applicable teacher retirement fund association. If an applicable school district levies under this paragraph, they may not levy under paragraph (b).

(d) In addition to the levy authorized under paragraph (c), Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, may also levy payable in 1997 or later an amount equal to the contributions under section 423A.02, subdivision 3, and may also levy in payable 1994 or later an amount equal to the state aid contribution under section 354A.12, subdivision 3b. Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, may levy payable in 1997 or later an amount equal to the supplemental contributions under section 423A.02, subdivision 3.

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Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 256D.21, is amended to read:

256D.21 CONTINUATION OF BENEFITS; FORMER MINNEAPOLIS EMPLOYEES.

Subdivision 1. Continuation of benefits. Each employee of the city of Minneapolis who is transferred to and employed by the county under the provisions of section 256D.20 and who is a contributing member of a retirement system organized under the provisions of Minnesota Statutes 2008, chapter 422A, ~~shall continue to be~~ is a member of ~~that system~~ the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association and is entitled to all of the applicable benefits conferred ~~thereby~~ by and subject to all the restrictions of ~~chapter 422A, unless the member applies to cancel membership within six months after January 1, 1974~~ section 353.50.

Subd. 2. City obligation. The cost to the public of that portion of the retirement allowances or other benefits accrued while any such employee was in the service of the city of Minneapolis ~~shall~~ must remain an obligation of the city and a tax ~~shall~~ must be levied and collected by it to discharge its obligation as provided ~~by chapter 422A~~ in section 353.50, subdivision 7.

Subd. 3. County obligation. The cost to the public of the retirement allowances or other benefits accruing to employees so transferred to and employed by the county ~~shall be~~ is the obligation of and paid by the county ~~at such time as the retirement board shall fix and determine in accordance with chapter 422A~~ in section 353.50, subdivision 7. The county shall pay to the ~~municipal~~ general employees retirement fund ~~an amount certified to the county auditor of the county by the retirement board as the cost of the retirement allowances and other benefits accruing and owing to such county employees~~ of the Public Employees Retirement Association those amounts. The cost to the public of the retirement ~~allowances as herein provided shall~~ coverage under this section must be paid from the county revenue fund by the county auditor ~~upon receipt of certification from the retirement board as herein provided~~, and the county board is authorized to levy and collect such taxes as may be necessary to pay such costs.

Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 352.01, subdivision 2b, is amended to read:

Subd. 2b. Excluded employees. "State employee" does not include:

(1) students employed by the University of Minnesota, or the state colleges and universities, unless approved for coverage by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota or the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, whichever is applicable;

(2) employees who are eligible for membership in the state Teachers Retirement Association, except employees of the Department of Education who have chosen or may choose to be covered by the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System instead of the Teachers Retirement Association;

(3) employees of the University of Minnesota who are excluded from coverage by action of the Board of Regents;

(4) officers and enlisted personnel in the National Guard and the naval militia who are assigned to permanent peacetime duty and who under federal law are or are required to be members of a federal retirement system;

(5) election officers;

(6) persons who are engaged in public work for the state but who are employed by contractors when the performance of the contract is authorized by the legislature or other competent authority;

(7) officers and employees of the senate, or of the house of representatives, or of a legislative committee or commission who are temporarily employed;

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(8) receivers, jurors, notaries public, and court employees who are not in the judicial branch as defined in section 43A.02, subdivision 25, except referees and adjusters employed by the Department of Labor and Industry;

(9) patient and inmate help in state charitable, penal, and correctional institutions including the Minnesota Veterans Home;

(10) persons who are employed for professional services where the service is incidental to their regular professional duties and whose compensation is paid on a per diem basis;

(11) employees of the Sibley House Association;

(12) the members of any state board or commission who serve the state intermittently and are paid on a per diem basis; the secretary, secretary-treasurer, and treasurer of those boards if their compensation is $5,000 or less per year, or, if they are legally prohibited from serving more than three years; and the board of managers of the State Agricultural Society and its treasurer unless the treasurer is also its full-time secretary;

(13) state troopers and persons who are described in section 352B.011, subdivision 10, clauses (2) to (8);

(14) temporary employees of the Minnesota State Fair who are employed on or after July 1 for a period not to extend beyond October 15 of that year; and persons who are employed at any time by the state fair administration for special events held on the fairgrounds;

(15) emergency employees who are in the classified service; except that if an emergency employee, within the same pay period, becomes a provisional or probationary employee on other than a temporary basis, the employee must be considered a "state employee" retroactively to the beginning of the pay period;

(16) temporary employees in the classified service, and temporary employees in the unclassified service who are appointed for a definite period of not more than six months and who are employed less than six months in any one-year period;

(17) interns hired for six months or less and trainee employees, except those listed in subdivision 2a, clause (8);

(18) persons whose compensation is paid on a fee basis or as an independent contractor;

(19) state employees who are employed by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in unclassified positions enumerated in section 43A.08, subdivision 1, clause (9);

(20) state employees who in any year have credit for 12 months service as teachers in the public schools of the state and as teachers are members of the Teachers Retirement Association or a retirement system in St. Paul, Minneapolis, or Duluth, except for incidental employment as a state employee that is not covered by one of the teacher retirement associations or systems;

(21) employees of the adjutant general who are employed on an unlimited intermittent or temporary basis in the classified or unclassified service for the support of Army and Air National Guard training facilities;

(22) chaplains and nuns who are excluded from coverage under the federal Old Age, Survivors, Disability, and Health Insurance Program for the performance of service as specified in United States Code, title 42, section 410(a)(8)(A), as amended, if no irrevocable election of coverage has been made under section 3121(r) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended through December 31, 1992;

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(23) examination monitors who are employed by departments, agencies, commissions, and boards to conduct examinations required by law;

(24) persons who are appointed to serve as members of fact-finding commissions or adjustment panels, arbitrators, or labor referees under chapter 179;

(25) temporary employees who are employed for limited periods under any state or federal program for training or rehabilitation, including persons who are employed for limited periods from areas of economic distress, but not including skilled and supervisory personnel and persons having civil service status covered by the system;

(26) full-time students who are employed by the Minnesota Historical Society intermittently during part of the year and full-time during the summer months;

(27) temporary employees who are appointed for not more than six months, of the Metropolitan Council and of any of its statutory boards, if the board members are appointed by the Metropolitan Council;

(28) persons who are employed in positions designated by the Department of Management and Budget as student workers;

(29) members of trades who are employed by the successor to the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, who have trade union pension plan coverage under a collective bargaining agreement, and who are first employed after June 1, 1977;

(30) off-duty peace officers while employed by the Metropolitan Council;

(31) persons who are employed as full-time police officers by the Metropolitan Council and as police officers are members of the public employees police and fire fund;

(32) persons who are employed as full-time firefighters by the Department of Military Affairs and as firefighters are members of the public employees police and fire fund;

(33) foreign citizens with a work permit of less than three years, or an H-1b/JV visa valid for less than three years of employment, unless notice of extension is supplied which allows them to work for three or more years as of the date the extension is granted, in which case they are eligible for coverage from the date extended; and

(34) persons who are employed by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and who elected to remain members of the Public Employees Retirement Association or of the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association as the successor of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, whichever applies, under Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 136C.75.

Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Management; composition; election. (a) The management of the ~~public employees retirement fund~~ Public Employees Retirement Association is vested in an 11-member board of trustees consisting of ten members and the state auditor. The state auditor may designate a deputy auditor with expertise in pension matters as the auditor's representative on the board. The governor shall appoint five trustees to four-year terms, one of whom shall be designated to represent school boards, one to represent cities, one to represent counties, one who is a retired annuitant, and one who is a public member knowledgeable in pension matters. The membership of the association, including recipients of retirement annuities and disability and survivor benefits, shall elect five trustees for terms of four years, one of whom must be a member of the police and fire fund and one of whom must be a former member who met the definition of public employee under section 353.01, subdivisions 2 and 2a, for at least five years prior

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to terminating membership or a member who receives a disability benefit. Terms expire on January 31 of the fourth year, and positions are vacant until newly elected members are seated. Except as provided in this subdivision, trustees elected by the membership of the association must be public employees and members of the association.

(b) For seven days beginning October 1 of each year preceding a year in which an election is held, the association shall accept at its office filings in person or by mail of candidates for the board of trustees. A candidate shall submit at the time of filing a nominating petition signed by 25 or more members of the association. No name may be withdrawn from nomination by the nominee after October 15. At the request of a candidate for an elected position on the board of trustees, the board shall mail a statement of up to 300 words prepared by the candidate to all persons eligible to vote in the election of the candidate. The board may adopt policies, subject to review and approval by the secretary of state under paragraph (e), to govern the form and length of these statements, timing of mailings, and deadlines for submitting materials to be mailed. The secretary of state shall resolve disputes between the board and a candidate concerning application of these policies to a particular statement.

(c) By January 10 of each year in which elections are to be held, the board shall distribute by mail to the members ballots listing the candidates. No member may vote for more than one candidate for each board position to be filled. A ballot indicating a vote for more than one person for any position is void. No special marking may be used on the ballot to indicate incumbents. Ballots mailed to the association must be postmarked no later than January 31. The ballot envelopes must be so designated and the ballots must be counted in a manner that ensures that each vote is secret.

(d) A candidate who receives contributions or makes expenditures in excess of $100, or has given implicit or explicit consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $100 for the purpose of bringing about the candidate's election, shall file a report with the campaign finance and public disclosure board disclosing the source and amount of all contributions to the candidate's campaign. The campaign finance and public disclosure board shall prescribe forms governing these disclosures. Expenditures and contributions have the meaning defined in section 10A.01. These terms do not include the mailing made by the association board on behalf of the candidate. A candidate shall file a report within 30 days from the day that the results of the election are announced. The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board shall maintain these reports and make them available for public inspection in the same manner as the board maintains and makes available other reports filed with it.

(e) The secretary of state shall review and approve the procedures defined by the board of trustees for conducting the elections specified in this subdivision, including board policies adopted under paragraph (b).

(f) The board of trustees and the executive director shall undertake their activities consistent with chapter 356A.

Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.71, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4. Repayment of refund. Any person who has received a refund from the ~~public employees retirement fund~~ Public Employees Retirement Association and who is a member of any public retirement system referred to in subdivision 1, may repay such refund to the ~~public employees retirement fund~~ Public Employees Retirement Association as provided in section 353.35.

Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.86, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Participation. Volunteer ambulance service personnel, as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 35, who are or become members of and participants in the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund before July 1, 2002, and make contributions to either of those funds based on compensation for service other than volunteer ambulance service may elect to participate in that same fund with respect to compensation received for volunteer ambulance service, provided that the volunteer ambulance service is

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not credited to another public or private pension plan including the public employees retirement plan established by chapter 353D and provided further that the volunteer ambulance service is rendered for the same governmental unit for which the nonvolunteer ambulance service is rendered.

Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.86, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Election. Volunteer ambulance service personnel to whom subdivision 1 applies may exercise the election authorized under subdivision 1 within the earlier of the one-year period beginning on July 1, 1989, and extending through June 30, 1990, or the one-year period commencing on the first day of the first month following the start of employment in a position covered by the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund. The election must be exercised by filing a written notice on a form prescribed by the executive director of the association.

Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.87, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Participation. Except as provided in subdivision 2, a volunteer firefighter, as defined in section 353.01, subdivision 36, who, on June 30, 1989, was a member of, and a participant in, the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund and was making contributions to either of those funds based, at least in part, on compensation for services performed as a volunteer firefighter shall continue as a member of, and a participant in, the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund and compensation for services performed as a volunteer firefighter ~~shall~~ must be considered salary.

Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.87, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Option. A volunteer firefighter to whom subdivision 1 applies has the option to terminate membership and future participation in the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund or the public employees police and fire fund upon filing of a written notice of intention to terminate participation. Notice must be given on a form prescribed by the executive director of the association and must be filed in the offices of the association not later than June 30, 1990.

Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 353.88, is amended to read:

353.88 PENALTY FOR MEMBERSHIP MISCERTIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATION FAILURES.

(a) If the board of trustees of the Public Employees Retirement Association, upon the recommendation of the executive director, determines that a governmental subdivision has certified a public employee for membership in the public employees police and fire retirement plan when the public employee was not eligible for that retirement plan coverage, the public employee must be covered by the correct retirement plan for subsequent service, the public employee retains the coverage for the period of the misclassification, and the governmental subdivision shall pay in a lump sum the difference in the actuarial present value of the retirement annuities to which the public employee would have been entitled if the public employee was properly classified. The governmental subdivision payment is payable within 30 days of the board's determination. If unpaid, it must be collected under section 353.28. The lump-sum payment must be deposited in the ~~public~~ general employees retirement fund.

(b) If the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association determines that a governmental subdivision has failed to certify a person for retirement plan membership and coverage under this chapter, in addition to the procedures under section 353.27, subdivision 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12a, or 12b, the director shall charge a fine of $25 for each membership certification failure.

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Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 354.71, is amended to read:

354.71 MINNEAPOLIS EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND STATE AID REDEDICATED.

Subdivision 1. Appropriation. The positive difference, if any, between the actual state aid ~~paid~~ payable to the MERF division account of the Public Employees Retirement Association with respect to the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section 422A.101, subdivision 3, and $8,065,000 annually is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of management and budget for deposit in the Teachers Retirement Association to offset all or a portion of the ~~current and future~~ unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the former Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund Association.

Subd. 2. Financial requirements. The appropriation in subdivision 1 is available to the extent that financial requirements of with respect to the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association as the successor of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section ~~422A.101, subdivision 3,~~ 353.50 have been satisfied.

Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 354A.011, subdivision 27, is amended to read:

Subd. 27. Teacher. (a) "Teacher" means any person who renders service for a public school district, other than a charter school, located in the corporate limits of Duluth or St. Paul, as any of the following:

(1) a full-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the state Department of Education is required;

(2) an employee of the teachers retirement fund association located in the city of the first class ~~unless the employee has exercised the option pursuant to Laws 1955, chapter 10, section 1, to retain membership in the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund established pursuant to chapter 422A~~;

(3) a part-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the state Department of Education is required; or

(4) a part-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the state Department of Education is required who also renders other nonteaching services for the school district, unless the board of trustees of the teachers retirement fund association determines that the combined employment is on the whole so substantially dissimilar to teaching service that the service may not be covered by the association.

(b) The term does not mean any person who renders service in the school district as any of the following:

(1) an independent contractor or the employee of an independent contractor;

(2) an employee who is a full-time teacher covered by the Teachers Retirement Association or by another teachers retirement fund association established pursuant to this chapter or chapter 354;

(3) an employee exempt from licensure pursuant to section 122A.30;

(4) an employee who is a teacher in a technical college located in a city of the first class unless the person elects coverage by the applicable first class city teacher retirement fund association under section 354B.21, subdivision 2;

(5) a teacher employed by a charter school, irrespective of the location of the school; or

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(6) an employee who is a part-time teacher in a technical college in a city of the first class and who has elected coverage by the applicable first class city teacher retirement fund association under section 354B.21, subdivision 2, but (i) the teaching service is incidental to the regular nonteaching occupation of the person; (ii) the applicable technical college stipulates annually in advance that the part-time teaching service will not exceed 300 hours in a fiscal year; and (iii) the part-time teaching actually does not exceed 300 hours in the fiscal year to which the certification applies.

Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 354A.39, is amended to read:

354A.39 SERVICE IN OTHER PUBLIC RETIREMENT FUNDS; ANNUITY.

Any person who has been a member of the Minnesota State Retirement System, the Public Employees Retirement Association including the Public Employees Retirement Association Police and Fire Fund, the Teachers Retirement Association, the Minnesota State Patrol Retirement Association, the legislators retirement plan, the constitutional officers retirement plan, ~~the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund,~~ the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association new law coordinated program, the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association coordinated program, or any other public employee retirement system in the state of Minnesota having a like provision but excluding all other funds providing retirement benefits for police officers or firefighters ~~shall be~~ is entitled when qualified, to an annuity from each fund if the person's total allowable service in all of the funds or in any two or more of the funds totals three or more years, provided that no portion of the allowable service upon which the retirement annuity from one fund is based is used again in the computation for a retirement annuity from another fund and provided further that the person has not taken a refund from any of funds or associations since the person's membership in the fund or association has terminated. The annuity from each fund or association ~~shall~~ must be determined by the appropriate provisions of the law governing each fund or association, except that the requirement that a person must have at least three years of allowable service in the respective fund or association ~~shall~~ does not apply for the purposes of this section, provided that the aggregate service in two or more of these funds equals three or more years.

Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 355.095, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Agreement. (a) The director, on behalf of the state, its political subdivisions, and its other governmental employers, is authorized to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to extend the provisions of United States Code, title 42, section 426, 426-1, and 1395c, to the employees in paragraph (b) who meet the requirements of United States Code, title 42, section 418(v)(2) and who do not have coverage by the federal old age, survivors, and disability insurance program for that employment under any previous modification of the agreement or previous Medicare referendum.

(b) The applicable employees are:

(1) employees who are members of one of the retirement plans in Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.30, subdivision 3, except clauses (4) and (8), based on continuous employment since March 31, 1986; and

(2) employees of a special authority or district who have been continuously employed by the special authority or district since March 31, 1986.

Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 356.20, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Covered public pension plans and funds. This section applies to the following public pension plans:

(1) the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System;

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(2) the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(3) the Teachers Retirement Association;

(4) the State Patrol retirement plan;

(5) the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association;

(6) the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association;

~~(7) the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund;~~

~~(8)~~ (7) the University of Minnesota faculty retirement plan;

~~(9)~~ (8) the University of Minnesota faculty supplemental retirement plan;

~~(10)~~ (9) the judges retirement fund;

~~(11)~~ (10) a police or firefighter's relief association specified or described in section 69.77, subdivision 1a;

~~(12)~~ (11) a volunteer firefighter relief association governed by section 69.771, subdivision 1;

~~(13)~~ (12) the public employees police and fire plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

~~(14)~~ (13) the correctional state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System;

~~(15)~~ (14) the local government correctional service retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association; and

~~(16)~~ (15) the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan.

Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.214, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Actuary retention. (a) The governing board or managing or administrative official of each public pension plan and retirement fund or plan enumerated in paragraph (b) shall contract with an established actuarial consulting firm to conduct annual actuarial valuations and related services. The principal from the actuarial consulting firm on the contract must be an approved actuary under section 356.215, subdivision 1, paragraph (c).

(b) Actuarial services must include the preparation of actuarial valuations and related actuarial work for the following retirement plans:

(1) the teachers retirement plan, Teachers Retirement Association;

(2) the general state employees retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System;

(3) the correctional employees retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System;

(4) the State Patrol retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System;

(5) the judges retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System;

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~~(6) the Minneapolis employees retirement plan, Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund;~~

~~(7)~~ (6) the ~~public~~ general employees retirement plan, Public Employees Retirement Association, including the MERF division;

~~(8)~~ (7) the public employees police and fire plan, Public Employees Retirement Association;

~~(9)~~ (8) the Duluth teachers retirement plan, Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association;

~~(10)~~ (9) the St. Paul teachers retirement plan, St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association;

~~(11)~~ (10) the legislators retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System;

~~(12)~~ (11) the elective state officers retirement plan, Minnesota State Retirement System; and

~~(13)~~ (12) local government correctional service retirement plan, Public Employees Retirement Association.

(c) The contracts must require completion of the annual actuarial valuation calculations on a fiscal year basis, with the contents of the actuarial valuation calculations as specified in section 356.215, and in conformity with the standards for actuarial work adopted by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

The contracts must require completion of annual experience data collection and processing and a quadrennial published experience study for the plans listed in paragraph (b), clauses (1), (2), and ~~(7)~~ (6), as provided for in the standards for actuarial work adopted by the commission. The experience data collection, processing, and analysis must evaluate the following:

(1) individual salary progression;

(2) the rate of return on investments based on the current asset value;

(3) payroll growth;

(4) mortality;

(5) retirement age;

(6) withdrawal; and

(7) disablement.

(d) The actuary shall annually prepare a report to the governing or managing board or administrative official and the legislature, summarizing the results of the actuarial valuation calculations. The actuary shall include with the report any recommendations concerning the appropriateness of the support rates to achieve proper funding of the retirement plans by the required funding dates. The actuary shall, as part of the quadrennial experience study, include recommendations on the appropriateness of the actuarial valuation assumptions required for evaluation in the study.

(e) If the actuarial gain and loss analysis in the actuarial valuation calculations indicates a persistent pattern of sizable gains or losses, the governing or managing board or administrative official shall direct the actuary to prepare a special experience study for a plan listed in paragraph (b), clause (3), (4), (5), ~~(6)~~ (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), or (12), ~~or (13),~~ in the manner provided for in the standards for actuarial work adopted by the commission.

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Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.30, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Covered plans. This section applies to the following retirement plans:

(1) the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established under chapter 352;

(2) the correctional state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established under chapter 352;

(3) the unclassified employees retirement program, established under chapter 352D;

(4) the State Patrol retirement plan, established under chapter 352B;

(5) the legislators retirement plan, established under chapter 3A;

(6) the elective state officers retirement plan, established under chapter 352C;

(7) the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established under chapter 353, including the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(8) the public employees police and fire retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established under chapter 353;

(9) the local government correctional service retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established under chapter 353E;

(10) the Teachers Retirement Association, established under chapter 354;

~~(11) the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, established under chapter 422A;~~

~~(12)~~ (11) the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established under chapter 354A;

~~(13)~~ (12) the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established under chapter 354A; and

~~(14)~~ (13) the judges retirement fund, established by chapter 490.

Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.302, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The terms used in this section are defined in this subdivision.

(b) "Average salary" means the highest average of covered salary for the appropriate period of credited service that is required for the calculation of a disability benefit by the covered retirement plan and that is drawn from any period of credited service and successive years of covered salary in a covered retirement plan.

(d) "Duty-related" means a disabling illness or injury that occurred while the person was actively engaged in employment duties or that arose out of the person's active employment duties.

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(e) "General employee retirement plan" means a covered retirement plan listed in subdivision 7, clauses (1) to ~~(8)~~ (6) and ~~(13)~~ (12).

(f) "Occupationally disabled" means the condition of having a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that makes a person unable to satisfactorily perform the minimum requirements of the person's employment position or a substantially similar employment position.

(g) "Public safety employee retirement plan" means a covered retirement plan listed in subdivision 7, clauses ~~(9)~~ (7) to ~~(12)~~ (11).

(h) "Totally and permanently disabled" means the condition of having a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that makes a person unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity and that is expected to continue or has continued for a period of at least one year or that is expected to result directly in the person's death.

Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.302, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7. Covered retirement plans. This section applies to the following retirement plans:

(1) the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established by chapter 352;

(2) the unclassified state employees retirement program of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established by chapter 352D;

(3) the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353, including the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(4) the Teachers Retirement Association, established by chapter 354;

(5) the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established by chapter 354A;

(6) the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established by chapter 354A;

~~(7) the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, established by chapter 422A;~~

~~(8)~~ (7) the state correctional employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established by chapter 352;

~~(9)~~ (8) the State Patrol retirement plan, established by chapter 352B;

~~(10)~~ (9) the public employees police and fire plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353;

~~(11)~~ (10) the local government correctional service retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353E; and

~~(12)~~ (11) the judges retirement plan, established by chapter 490.

Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 356.303, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4. Covered retirement plans. This section applies to the following retirement plans:

(1) the legislators retirement plan, established by chapter 3A;

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(2) the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established by chapter 352;

(3) the correctional state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established by chapter 352;

(4) the State Patrol retirement plan, established by chapter 352B;

(5) the elective state officers retirement plan, established by chapter 352C;

(6) the unclassified state employees retirement program, established by chapter 352D;

(7) the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353, including the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(8) the public employees police and fire plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353;

(9) the local government correctional service retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established by chapter 353E;

(10) the Teachers Retirement Association, established by chapter 354;

(11) the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established by chapter 354A;

(12) the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established by chapter 354A; and

~~(13) the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, established by chapter 422A; and~~

~~(14)~~ (13) the judges retirement fund, established by chapter 490.

Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 356.32, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Covered retirement plans. The provisions of this section apply to the following retirement plans:

(1) the general state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established under chapter 352;

(2) the correctional state employees retirement plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System, established under chapter 352;

(3) the State Patrol retirement plan, established under chapter 352B;

(4) the general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established under chapter 353, including the MERF division of the Public Employees Retirement Association;

(5) the public employees police and fire plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association, established under chapter 353;

(6) the Teachers Retirement Association, established under chapter 354;

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~~(7) the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund, established under chapter 422A;~~

~~(8)~~ (7) the Duluth Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established under chapter 354A; and

~~(9)~~ (8) the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association, established under chapter 354A.

Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 356.401, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Covered retirement plans. The provisions of this section apply to the following retirement plans: